December 31, 2025Washington, DC, United StatesEmployee Spotlight

A year of service: ICE’s 'best of the best' demonstrate selfless service, sacrifice, duty and honor

WASHINGTON — While ICE’s law enforcement officers risk their lives to arrest the worst of worst criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, child sex abusers, terrorists and gang members, they have faced a 1,347% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them thanks to the lies and smears from sanctuary politicians and radical activists, and hoaxes spread by the media. Despite that, their heroic efforts have led to historic results, helping DHS remove more than 622,000 illegal aliens, including tens of thousands of the worst of the worst criminal offenders. That, coupled with more than 2 million illegal aliens who chose to self-deport, has created a cycle that benefits the American public; as ICE continues to remove more illegal aliens, more illegal aliens wisely choose to self-deport and avoid arrest.

“Every day, ERO officers show up knowing the risks they face — and they choose to serve anyway,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Courage is measured by actions, not words, and throughout the year, officers across the agency demonstrated professionalism, restraint and courage in moments that demanded all three. These stories remind us that law enforcement is about responsibility to the communities we serve, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of this organization.”

Despite the obstacles they face, including record numbers of violent anti-ICE rioters assaulting law enforcement, terrorist attacks, and bounties placed on their heads, our courageous officers have proven their commitment to upholding the rule of law in the United States and making America safe again.

Below are some heroic stories of our patriotic ICE law enforcement officers.

On April 26, ICE Dallas officers saw a pickup truck lose a tire, roll seven times, and land upside-down. The officers and two bystanders worked quickly to pry open the truck’s door and pulled the driver to safety. An off-duty EMT stopped to help until police and paramedics arrived.

ICE Denver’s Special Response Team — an elite unit of officers trained to respond to high-risk situations — were traveling to Illinois’ Broadview ICE processing facility Sept. 25 and approached the aftermath of a fiery, near-deadly collision between a semi-truck, a small passenger car and two other vehicles. As smoke billowed from the small car, the officers responded quickly and discovered a man with his legs pinned under the dashboard inside, unconscious and covered in blood. They broke the vehicle’s window and extracted the man moments before the entire vehicle became fully engulfed in flames. They provided first aid while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. EMTs transported the severely injured man to the hospital, while several ICE officers suffered from slight smoke inhalation and lacerations.

On July 11, two ICE officers encountered a single-vehicle accident where the driver veered off the road and struck a tree. The pair sprang into action, rescuing the driver and extinguishing an engine fire while waiting for emergency responders to arrive.

An off-duty ICE officer in Nuevo, California, provided lifesaving aid to a man who suffered a neck wound Oct. 2 while instructing his son to call 911. The officer, trained in first aid, ensured the scene was safe and assessed the man’s condition. He then used his own first-aid kit and applied a pressure bandage to control the heavy bleeding and stabilize the victim. First responders transported the man to the hospital for further treatment.

On Oct. 21, an ICE deportation officer was conducting enforcement actions when he heard multiple gunshots nearby. He saw three juveniles fleeing the area and sprang into action, discovering a man who’d been shot in the left thigh. He and officers from the Philadelphia Police Department applied a tourniquet, and local police drove the man to a nearby hospital for treatment.

ICE is always looking for patriotic Americans to join its ranks and help defend the American homeland. If you or someone you know wants to work side-by-side with these heroes, visit join.ICE.gov and submit an application today.

Updated: 12/31/2025