Border agent ambush shows Dems need to ‘tone down rhetoric,’ White House says, pushing AOC to meet with ICE

The White House is calling on Democrats in Congress to ramp down heated language toward U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and agents for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), after a gunman opened fire upon Border Patrol agents at an annex facility in McAllen, Texas, Monday. 

The Department of Homeland Security reported earlier in July that assaults against ICE officers and other federal immigration agents have risen nearly 700% in comparison to 2024. 

Specifically, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., should set up a meeting with ICE and CBP agents. 

“We certainly call on Democrats to tone down their rhetoric against ICE and Border Patrol agents, who, again, are everyday men and women. I would encourage AOC and other Democrats to actually meet with the United States Border Patrol,” Leavitt told reporters on Monday. “These are honorable Americans who are just simply trying to do their job to enforce the law. They go home to their families every night, just like we all do, and they deserve respect and dignity for trying to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and to remove public safety threats from our communities.” 

A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.