Vice President JD Vance delivered a passionate rebuke of inflammatory rhetoric Wednesday, linking Democratic attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to a deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE facility earlier that day.

The incident, which claimed the life of an illegal immigrant and ended with the shooter taking his own life, underscores the urgent need to protect American law enforcement and restore civility to national discourse, Vance argued.

The attack unfolded around 7 a.m. ET, when the gunman fired into the facility before turning the weapon on himself. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel revealed on X that bullet casings at the scene bore the engraving “ANTI-ICE,” a stark indicator of the shooter’s motivations amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement.

Speaking at an event in Concord, North Carolina, Vance warned that such violence stems directly from divisive language that demonizes those who safeguard U.S. borders. “If your political rhetoric encourages violence against law enforcement, you can go straight to h-ll and you have no place in the political conversation of the United States of America,” he declared.

Democratic Leaders’ Statements Draw Sharp Criticism

Vance specifically targeted recent comments from prominent Democrats, urging them to reflect on how their words fuel real-world harm. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in remarks Tuesday, described ICE as the “largest private domestic army” with actions “alarming beyond words,” framing the agency’s raids on criminal illegal immigrants as evidence of President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian tendencies.”

Similar rhetoric has echoed across the party: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called ICE a “modern-day Gestapo” in a May commencement address; Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett likened agents to “slave patrols” during a recent MSNBC appearance; and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez branded the agency a “rogue agency that should not exist” last spring.

Vance also highlighted a debunked NBC News report alleging ICE detained a 5-year-old autistic girl to coerce her undocumented father into surrendering.

The network later corrected the story, admitting it had “mischaracterized” the agents’ actions. “Political violence has gotten out of control in this country. We’ve got to stop it, we’ve got to condemn it, and that starts, unfortunately, at the very top of the Democratic Party,” Vance said.

He called for an end to labeling law enforcement as N-zis or Gestapo equivalents: “If you want to stop political violence, look in the mirror. That’s the way that we stop political violence in this country, and we have got to do it.”

Surge in Attacks on Border Agents Highlights National Security Imperative

The Dallas shooting is part of a alarming pattern targeting those who protect America’s frontiers. The Department of Homeland Security reports a staggering 1,000% spike in assaults on ICE agents and facilities since President Trump’s January return to office.

In July, authorities charged 11 individuals in an ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where gunfire wounded a police officer in the neck. That same month, an active shooter struck at a Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, further straining resources dedicated to national security.

Vance stressed that defending law enforcement is non-negotiable for preserving the safety and sovereignty that define the United States. “Protecting law enforcement must be a priority,” he affirmed, calling on all Americans—regardless of party—to unite against incitement and recommit to the values that make this nation a beacon of stability and justice.

As investigations into the Dallas incident continue, the episode serves as a sobering reminder of the human cost of unchecked partisanship.

Do you agree with JD Vance’s comments where he called out Democrats for their rhetoric against ICE? Why or why not? Let us know what you think by posting in the comments section.