DHS Rejects Nixon’s Claims That GOP Seeks to ‘Kill’ Black Americans Through Immigration Enforcement

Federal officials sharply rejected accusations from Florida Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Angie Nixon that the Republican Party and Immigration and Customs Enforcement deliberately harm Black Americans. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Friday characterizing Nixon’s rhetoric as baseless and inflammatory amid what it described as a surge in attacks on immigration enforcement personnel.

Nixon made the disputed statements during a podcast interview earlier this month, shortly before winning Florida’s Democratic Senate primary. She argued that bipartisan cooperation with Republicans was futile, asserting that party members were engaged in lethal targeting of Black communities. She further characterized ICE as an armed force deployed to instill fear among targeted populations.

A Chicago immigration enforcement operation from September 2025 served as Nixon’s primary example. The action at a South Shore apartment complex resulted in approximately two dozen detentions focused on suspected gang members and involved agents restraining multiple individuals. The DHS later debunked a widely circulated claim involving a young child, attributing the image to a parody video.

DHS dismissed claims of discriminatory targeting, stating that immigration status—not race or ethnicity—determines enforcement priorities. Officials cited statutory authority for such operations and emphasized adherence to de-escalation protocols and minimum-force standards. The department also referenced a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that temporarily permitted immigration operations in Southern California to proceed while legal challenges continued.

Department officials reported unprecedented threats to ICE personnel, citing a 1,300 percent rise in assaults, a 3,300 percent increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000 percent surge in death threats against officers. The DHS characterized these incidents as part of a coordinated campaign targeting law enforcement.

Nixon defeated Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council official and Trump impeachment witness, by nearly 12 percentage points in the primary despite a significant financial disadvantage. Vindman’s campaign raised approximately $16.27 million compared with roughly $1 million for Nixon. She will compete against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November’s general election to complete the remainder of former Sen. Marco Rubio’s term.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Emma Hall characterized Nixon’s statements as advantageous to GOP candidates nationwide, accusing her of advocating for prison releases, open borders, and tax increases to fund progressive initiatives. Requests for comment from both Nixon and Moody were not immediately answered.