By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

Growing violence against law enforcement officers is raising concerns with lawmakers as the law enforcement community points to dangerous rhetoric as a catalyst for the attacks, as Democrats continue to accuse immigration officials of wrongdoing.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Homeland Security hosted a hearing entitled, “When Badges Become Targets: How Anti-Law Enforcement Rhetoric Fuels Violence Against Officers,” on Wednesday.

The hearing comes exactly one week after a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., blocks from the White House that claimed the life of one National Guardsman, leaving another fighting for his life. The members were serving in the nation’s capital as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in the district. The guard has been patrolling the streets of D.C. since August, supporting law enforcement officers in cutting down on a rash of violent crime that has plagued the city in recent years.

During the hearing, lawmakers heard testimony from law enforcement groups and a police officer.

The hearing comes as the Fraternal Order of Police released the latest numbers showing that as of Nov. 30, 314 law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty, killing 43. This year alone, there have been 62 ambush-style attacks on police officers. The number spiked in 2023, when 378 officers were shot, 46 killed. There were 115 ambush-style attacks on police, resulting in 138 being shot and 20 dying in those attacks.

Last year, 342 police officers were shot in the line of duty, resulting in the deaths of 50. Sixty-one ambush-style attacks were reported, which left 79 officers shot, killing 18.

Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, highlighted anti-law enforcement rhetoric behind the rise of violence against law enforcement.

“The erosion of respect for law enforcement coupled with public figures spewing antipolice rhetoric – rhetoric that is amplified by social media platforms—has fueled greater aggression towards police officers than what has been seen in previous years – undoubtedly emboldening people to turn verbal assaults into brazen acts of violence against law enforcement,” Yoes told the committee. “This aligns with the concept of ‘stochastic terrorism,’ where inflammatory rhetoric creates a climate that emboldens individuals to commit independent acts of violence without explicit direction.”

Yoes added that he believes “dehumanizing language erodes respect for the badge and emboldens those predisposed to harm officers” in ambush-style attacks.

While Republicans pointed to dangerous rhetoric behind the rise in violence against law enforcement, Democrats criticized immigration officials, underscoring that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents mask their identities.

Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., said the Department of Homeland Security is the “biggest threat to public safety,” accusing agents of using chemical weapons against citizens.

Daniel Hodges, with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, shared some harsh assessments for some of his fellow law enforcement officers, alluding to recent immigration enforcement activities, comparing them to secret police.

“If the inhabitants of our country can no longer believe in the rule of law, then they can no longer believe in law enforcement. If they believe they will be denied their basic rights, what motivation do they have to cooperate with investigations, to support law enforcement as an institution? The fact of the matter is that right now, in the United States of America, there is a secret police force abducting people based on the color of their skin and sending many of them via state-sponsored human trafficking to extraterritorial concentration camps,” Hodges told the committee.

Jonathan Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Sheriffs’ Association, hit back at members for fueling the flames.

“Some members of this Congress use inflammatory terms loosely and seek to minimize them. Regardless of party, such language serves one purpose: to incite violence,” Thompson told the committee.