Billboards expressing support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and calling out “liberal hypocrisy” appeared in several key states on Wednesday. This comes as federal officers face ongoing protests and harassment from anti-ICE activists.
One billboard, created by the conservative nonprofit group Citizens for Sanity, emphasizes that “ICE agents are our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends.” The billboards are strategically placed along busy commuter routes in Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.
Another sign urges, “Let them do their job,” featuring an image of ICE officers in tactical gear.
One of the signs reminds people that “obstructing the operations of federal law enforcement is a crime.” It warns, “You could go to jail.”
Additionally, one advertisement references a statement from former President Barack Obama during his Senate tenure, asserting that “Americans are right to demand stronger border security and stronger immigration enforcement.” The sign provocatively questions, “Liberals, what’s changed?”
In a further appeal, a billboard challenges protestors by stating, “The same people who wanted you to get 10 doses of the vaccine now want you to protest ICE,” encouraging them to “think twice.”
“This campaign reminds voters that law enforcement is not partisan; it’s just common sense,” Ian Pryor, the executive director of Citizens for Sanity, noted in a statement. He emphasized that “ICE officers put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe, and they deserve to be supported, not hindered.”
Leaders of the Citizens for Sanity contend that Americans are “tired of chaos at the border and across the country.” They describe the left’s “political gamesmanship” around ICE as “unacceptable and undesirable” for voters in these battleground areas.
As President Trump begins his second term, he has ramped up large-scale immigration enforcement operations in Democratic-led cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
Last week, Trump suggested to border czar Tom Homan that he might “relax” immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, especially following the shootings of two anti-ICE protesters by federal officers last month.
Homan announced on Wednesday that 700 federal law enforcement officers would be withdrawn from the Twin Cities, leaving about 2,000 federal personnel still in the area.
Public opinion regarding ICE and Trump’s immigration crackdown appears to be mixed. An Ipsos poll conducted recently revealed that 62% of Americans think ICE has overstepped, while 13% feel its actions haven’t gone far enough, and 23% think they are appropriate.
In contrast, a survey from Plymouth Union Public found that 57% of voters support Trump’s immigration policies. Additionally, a similar percentage believes that federal law enforcement should perform deportation arrests without interference or harassment.
