Republican Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna recently appeared on Fox News to criticize Democrats for allegedly using U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as a tool for "race baiting."
During her appearance on "Jesse Watters Primetime," Luna highlighted that a significant portion of ICE agents are of Hispanic descent.
The Democratic Party has consistently opposed ICE operations, which involve conducting raids and detaining illegal immigrants across the nation. Some Democratic lawmakers and officials have faced legal consequences for allegedly retaliating against these federal actions.
In a recent development, Democrats have proposed a ban on federal agents wearing masks. Jesse Watters pointed out the irony, noting that Democrats, who previously enforced strict COVID-19 mask mandates, are now advocating for mask removal "for the first time in six years."
Luna responded, "Yes, exactly to your point. These are the same Democrat politicians that force people to wear masks, otherwise they couldnt see their loved ones passing away in hospitals or getting married. I think its completely hypocritical. But, look, the same Democrat politicians that are trying to say that ICE is all Anglo-Americans, theyre completely false."
As reported by the Daily Caller, Democrat California State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting law enforcement officers from covering their faces while on duty in public. This legislation also mandates that officers display identifying information. This initiative comes in the wake of increased ICE raids in sanctuary cities under the Trump administration.
Footage from some of these arrests shows agents wearing masks, a precautionary measure underscored by border czar Tom Homan, who has noted a rise in assaults and doxing against federal employees. Luna emphasized, "ICE is actually predominantly 50% Hispanic.
So, really, what theyre doing is theyre using these policies to race-bait Americans into thinking that this is somehow Hispanic versus white when, in actuality, its not. Hispanic Americans support these policies as well, and theyre trying to effectively dox Hispanic ICE workers and Border Patrol agents, which is completely unacceptable."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, employs a diverse workforce. According to 2023 fiscal year data, DHS has 199,635 employees, with 51.7% identifying as white, 22.8% as Hispanic, and 16.7% as Black. Overall, minorities constitute 48.3% of the DHS workforce.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides further insight, revealing that 50.9% of the approximately 20,337 border patrol agents are Hispanic, while 43.9% are white.
Although specific racial demographics for ICE employees are not detailed, the agency employs 22,007 full-time staff, as outlined in DHS's 2024 fiscal year budget overview.
Login