In a contentious exchange that made waves on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dismissed remarks by Angie Nixon, Florida’s Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. Nixon had accused Republicans of attempting to endanger lives, describing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a “weaponized paramilitary force” aimed at instilling fear.
Nixon aired these bold assertions during her appearance on the “QNA: Questions Need Answers” podcast earlier this month. Her interview took place just before she secured victory in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary, adding weight to her incendiary comments.
In making her case for why voters should back combative figures in Washington, Nixon showed a clear aversion to the notion of bipartisan cooperation, instead advocating for a more confrontational approach.
Addressing listeners, Nixon questioned the viability of working collaboratively with Republicans. “People often wonder, ‘Are you going to be able to work across the aisle?’ But the reality is, they’re not interested. They’re literally posing a threat to our lives. And it’s all unfolding right before our eyes,” she remarked emphatically.
Nixon elaborated on what she perceives as state-sanctioned oppression within black communities before shifting her focus to immigration enforcement, painting a stark picture of systemic issues she believes are deliberately targeting marginalized groups.
“Like, actually state-sanctioned violence. They’ve been doing it in the black community. And they’re doing it even more so now with ICE,” she said. “ICE is now a weaponized paramilitary force that is designed to terrorize us.”
Nixon used a September 2025 operation at an apartment building in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood as an example, alleging that agents zip-tied men, women and children.
The operation resulted in about two dozen detentions and targeted suspected Tren de Aragua members.
DHS later rejected a viral allegation involving a toddler, saying the image came from a parody video.
“Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday.
DHS said immigration status, not race or ethnicity, determined who was targeted for enforcement. The department cited ICE’s authority under § U.S.C. 1357 and pointed to its use-of-force policy, which included minimum-force and de-escalation standards.
The department also referred to a 2025 Supreme Court order.
The decision temporarily allowed immigration operations in Southern California to resume while litigation over whether officers conducted stops without reasonable suspicion continued.
DHS said Nixon’s rhetoric came as ICE personnel faced escalating attacks and threats. A spokesperson repeated figures the department had cited last month.
“We have seen a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement. Our brave law enforcement is facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, 3,300% increase in vehicular attack, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. This violence must end,” the spokesperson said.
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Emma Hall told Fox News Digital Friday that Nixon’s comments would benefit Republican candidates nationwide.
“Socialist lunatic Angie Nixon wants to empty our prisons, open our borders and raise your taxes to bankroll their far-left agenda,” she said. “Every word out of Nixon’s mouth is an in-kind contribution to Republicans in Florida and across the country.”
Nixon defeated former National Security Council official Alexander Vindman, a whistleblower who became a key witness in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, by nearly 12 points despite his $16.27 million campaign war chest, compared with approximately $1 million raised by Nixon.
She will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November to fill the remainder of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s former Senate term.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nixon and Moody for comment but did not immediately receive a response.