October 10, 2025
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DHS condemns Houston display of ICE hangings

The Department of Homeland Security condemned a Halloween display in Houston’s Second Ward that depicts mannequins dressed like ICE agents hanging from a gallows beneath a Mexican flag, calling it a 'mock execution ground,' and urged 'sanctuary politicians' and media to tone down anti‑ICE rhetoric. Citing what it says is a more than 1,000% rise in assaults on ICE officers and doxxing of families, DHS shared examples of threats and said the dehumanization of agents must stop.

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📌 Key Facts

  • Display location: Houston, Texas (Second Ward); features mannequins in red hats and black shirts hanging from ropes on wooden gallows with a Mexican flag, coffins, barbed wire, and zip ties
  • DHS called on 'sanctuary politicians' to moderate rhetoric toward ICE and cited a claimed 1,000% increase in assaults on officers
  • DHS provided examples of threats to officers’ families and included on‑record condemnation from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

📚 Contextual Background

  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal agency responsible for apprehending and detaining people suspected of being undocumented immigrants in the United States.