The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called on "sanctuary politicians" to "tone down their rhetoric" against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers following the emergence of a Halloween display in Houston that depicts the hanging of agents.
The display - located in the predominantly Hispanic Second Ward neighborhood of Houston, Texas - features multiple mannequins. Two of the figures - dressed in red hats, black shirts, khaki pants and black masks - are seen hanging from ropes around their necks on wooden gallows topped with a Mexican flag, video showed.
"Effigies of ICE agents dressed in black shirts with red hats were hung from homemade gallows with zip ties in their pockets," DHS said. "The display, surrounded by coffins, barbed wire, and featuring a Mexican flag, was a mock execution ground."
"Following a weekend of domestic terrorists attacking federal law enforcement officers, the Department of Homeland Security is calling for sanctuary politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement law enforcement," DHS added. "Our officers are facing a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them and their families are being doxxed and threatened online."
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Homeland Security also condemned alleged threats that have been sent to the families of ICE agents.
"One agent's spouse was sent this Facebook message by Robert Buckley of Lakeville, Massachusetts: 'Your husband, the ICE man is a f--- and retribution will come your way eventually," according to DHS.
"In Texas, an ICE officer's spouse received a call saying, 'I don't know how you let your husband work for ICE, and you sleep at night. F--- you, f--- your family. I hope your kids get deported by accident. How do you sleep? F--- you. Did you hear what happened to the Nazis after World War II? Because it's what's going to happen to your family," DHS added.
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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, "These type of threats against our brave ICE law enforcement officers and their families are disgusting."
"These officers risk their lives every day to arrest murderers, pedophiles, rapists, terrorists, and gang members from our communities. Comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences," McLaughlin continued.
"The men and women of ICE and CBP are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night," she also said. "The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop."
Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
