Political rhetoric and activist interference are escalating the danger federal immigration enforcement officials are facing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection senior adviser Ron Vitiello told Newsmax on Thursday.
"It is inherently risky to go after people who are in the country illegally, who have also committed other crimes and don't want to be found, arrested, or removed," Vitiello said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
His comments came after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot an illegal migrant from Venezuela in the leg on Wednesday.
Authorities said the suspect ran instead of complying with orders and then, along with two other people, used a shovel and a broom handle to attack the agent.
Vitiello, a former acting ICE director, said agents and officers on the front lines will keep adjusting their tactics and relying on their training to protect themselves.
Federal operations are also being complicated by elected officials who portray enforcement actions as kidnappings or people being "disappeared," and by activists who surround agents, damage equipment, and try to impede arrests, said Vitiello.
He urged Minnesota leaders to take a more active role, saying local police should respond faster and state officials should help secure federal facilities and keep crowds away from agents in the field.
"The local police need to engage much faster," he said. "They could have officers in the community that help keep the crowds at bay while the agents do their work."
Vitiello also pointed to a separate deadly shooting from the previous week involving an ICE agent, saying the agent suffered internal bleeding after being struck by a car driven by Renee Good, who was later shot and killed.
He criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other politicians for condemning the agent before investigators released the facts.
"The mayor himself called it a murder, not knowing any of the facts," Vitiello said, adding that the injuries suggested the agent and his partners were in danger.
Vitiello said immigration enforcement is lawful in Minneapolis even when local leaders oppose it, and he warned that the situation could worsen if officials continue to stoke tensions instead of supporting federal officers.
"The good news here is these agents are well trained," he said. "They will adjust their tactics and keep doing what they do."
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