As violence has increased against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents enforcing federal law, with apparent encouragement from many Democrat lawmakers, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) joined Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebr.) in sponsoring a bill aimed at increasing penalties for violence against law enforcement.
[RELATED: Anti-ICE Activists Charged in Alleged Plot to Ambush Federal Officers, Shooting a Police Officer…]
“At a time when violence against law enforcement is trending upward, we must do more to protect the protectors,” said Rep. Golden.
“This bill takes a strategic two-pronged approach: First, it makes clear with new criminal provisions that violence against federal law enforcement officers, judges and other federally funded public safety officers will not be tolerated. Second, it opens new federal funds to strengthen the relationship between officers and the communities they serve and protect. It’s a tough, smart bill to ensure those who attack or kill officers pay a steep price, and to help reduce violence against officers before it happens,” he added.
The bill, the Back the Blue Act, is a reintroduced version of a bill of the same name put forward by Rep. Bacon in 2023. That version of the bill never came to a vote in the House, and received only Republican co-sponsors.
Under the bill, killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill federal law enforcement, judges, or public safety officers such as firefighters, would carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 30-years in prison if a death results, and the perpetrator would be subject a potential death penalty.
If a death does not occur, there would be a minimum 10-year sentence, which would be raised to 20-years if a deadly weapon is used.
The bill proposal comes as the number of violent incidents against law enforcement agents has spiked in recent weeks. Earlier this month, 10 left-wing activists were charged after allegedly shooting a police officer in Texas as part of a failed effort to ambush and murder multiple ICE agents.
