Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) said it is wrong for people to be “demonizing” Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, suggesting “a balance” should be found in the deportation efforts.

Gonzales, the Republican Congressional Hispanic Conference chairman, appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday after Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who said the Biden administration’s handling of border security was “not working.” However, the senator said the nation’s response to illegal immigration has “swung drastically in another direction,” claiming this new response is not what U.S. citizens want.

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Gonzales responded to Kelly’s statements by saying the number of stories of U.S. citizens “turned upside down” greatly outnumber the “sad” stories of deportations. 

“And to be demonizing ICE agents is not right. You know right now, ICE agents have had a 1,000% increase on attacks, yet they’re seeing a huge increase in the amount of people that want to serve. There’s currently 10,000 vacancies, and they have nearly 100,000 applications,” Gonzales said on CBS’s Face the Nation.

Gonzales also said he thinks “a balance” can be found in focusing on “the worst of the worst” in the deportation efforts. He added that people should be “encouraging” law enforcement over sanctuary cities “that allow the lawlessness.”

Gonzales was asked about a letter he penned last month, in which he advocated that violent offenders be prioritized in deportations. Gonzales said Sunday that immigration is a “very emotional conversation” and an issue the U.S. needs to get “right.”

INDIANA GOES ALL-IN TO HELP ICE ARREST, DETAIN, AND DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Friday that Chicago’s refusal to let police work with ICE has led to virtually all illegal immigrants being released. She said the city’s police “only honored 8%” of the 1,664 detainers requested by ICE, and Illinois’s elected leaders are “ignoring the law.”

ICE is seeking to hire 10,000 new officers following President Donald Trump’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Noem announced Wednesday ICE removed the age cap for those interested in applying and also promoted the job offering in changing her X profile picture to her South Park parody.