Vice President JD Vance accused major media outlets of misrepresenting the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during remarks delivered Thursday in Minneapolis, saying the agency’s officers are being unfairly targeted amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement.
Speaking at an event attended by uniformed ICE personnel, Vance opened his speech by praising the agents behind him, calling their efforts “incredible” and asserting that public narratives about their conduct are often distorted. According to the vice president, media coverage frequently ignores the intense pressure and chaotic conditions under which ICE agents operate.
“One of the things I learned is that the guys behind me are doing an incredible job,” Vance said, adding that “a lot of the media is lying about the job that they do every single day.” While acknowledging that isolated incidents and controversial videos exist, he argued that many such cases lack full context and fail to capture the realities faced by agents in the field.
Vance emphasized that ICE officers are often subjected to harassment, doxxing, and even physical assaults, which he attributed to what he described as agitation from far-left activists. He said these actions make it increasingly difficult for agents to carry out their duties safely and effectively, calling such behavior “totally unacceptable.”
At the same time, the vice president drew a distinction between peaceful dissent and criminal conduct. He said protests against himself or the administration’s immigration policies are a legitimate form of expression, but warned that violence against law enforcement would not be tolerated. “Protest me. Protest our immigration policy, but do it peacefully,” Vance said. “If you assault a law enforcement officer, the Trump administration and the Department of Justice is going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
To illustrate what he described as a dangerous climate for ICE personnel, Vance recounted a story he said he heard earlier that day while meeting with agents and roundtable participants. According to the vice president, two off-duty ICE officers who had been doxxed online were confronted while dining at a Minneapolis restaurant. He claimed a group of agitators surrounded them, locked the doors, and created a situation in which the officers feared for their lives, ultimately requiring intervention by federal law enforcement to escort them to safety.
Vance placed responsibility for what he called the “anti-ICE environment” not only on activists but also on some elected state and local officials, arguing that their rhetoric has contributed to hostility toward federal immigration officers.
The remarks come as immigration enforcement continues to be a flashpoint in national politics, with the Trump administration signaling a hard-line stance on border security and public order. Vance’s speech underscored the administration’s message that while protest is protected, attacks on law enforcement will be met with aggressive prosecution.
.@VP after meeting with immigration agents in Minneapolis: “One of the things I learned is that the guys behind me are doing an incredible job, and, frankly, a lot of the media is lying about the jobs they do every single day… these people are under an incredible amount of… pic.twitter.com/KuHpaodSLn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 22, 2026