Hawley rebukes Democrats’ heated rhetoric after attacks on ICE, border patrol facilities: ‘Knock it off’

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had harsh words for Democratic colleagues employing heated rhetoric against immigration enforcement officers Tuesday following recent attacks on ICE and Border Patrol facilities in Texas.

Hawley told Fox News Digital in an interview that lawmakers need to turn their focus back to the needs of their constituents, rather than trying to make flash-in-the-pan headlines.

He specifically called out Democrats who have criticized ICE officers for wearing masks during their operations. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., accused officers of acting “like a terrorist force”

“Knock it off,” Hawley told his Democratic colleagues on Tuesday. “These are the same people who were in favor of masking our children. I don’t want to hear anything about ICE officers masking from them.”

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Sen. Josh Hawley speaks at an event touting the passage of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday, July 8 2025. (Fox News (Anders Hagstrom))

“We have a lot of rebuilding to do in America,” he added.

Hawley’s statement came just minutes after he touted the passage of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act as part of President Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. Hawley helped shepherd the legislation alongside staunch Democrats like former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and members of the NAACP, among others.

His words echoed the sentiment expressed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, who urged Democrats to cool off their rhetoric.

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Leavitt urged Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to 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 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,” she added.

An active shooter armed with tactical gear and a rifle opened fire upon Border Patrol agents as they arrived at a Border Patrol annex facility in McAllen, TX in the Rio Grande Valley this morning. (ICE)

The conversation over Democratic rhetoric erupted in recent days after a pair of attacks on ICE and Border Patrol facilities in Texas.

Agents and local police shot and killed the gunman who opened fire on Border Patrol agents in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley Monday, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. No officers were killed in the attack but one local police officer was shot.

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That attack came on the heels of another shooting near ICE’s Prairieland Detention Facility on Friday, where a Texas police officer was shot in the neck.

Fox News’ Diana Stancy contributed to this report