DHS Directs ICE to Avoid Protest Engagements

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to refrain from interacting with protesters, as reported by Reuters on Thursday.

An email from a senior ICE official advised agents against communicating or engaging with what they termed “instigators,” indicating that such interactions would only serve to escalate tensions. The internal guidance emphasizes that ICE officers should primarily concentrate on immigrants who have faced criminal charges or convictions.

“Please do not communicate or engage with the instigators,” the email stated, according to Reuters. “It serves no purpose other than to inflame the situation. No one can persuade the other. The only communication should be for the officer to issue orders.”

Officers are also equipped with a megaphone and are told to “verbalize every step of the arrest process,” though the internal guidance does not clarify what actions to take if their orders are disregarded.

Recent protests against ICE emerged after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Preti, during which demonstrators clashed with federal law enforcement and targeted employees at various businesses, including hotels and restaurants.

In related news, President Donald Trump mentioned having two “very good” phone calls with Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

Following the shootings, the Trump administration’s DHS implemented several operational changes within ICE. On Monday, the president assigned Border Patrol Agent Tom Homan to oversee ICE operations in Minnesota, while demoting Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and expelling him from the state.

DHS and ICE have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these developments.