Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) urged the passage of his Thin Blue Line Act in a post to X (formerly Twitter) responding to news of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shooting in McAllen, Texas.
According to the Fox News article linked in Rep. Buchanan's post, a gunman opened fire on several agents near a detention center, striking a local police officer. The agents returned fire, killing the gunman.
The Hill identified the gunman as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, 27, and described his motive as "unknown."
Notably, the shooting follows another attack in Alvarado, Texas, perpetrated by several gunmen who were arrested. One Alvarado officer was struck in the neck and had to be airlifted to a Forth Worth hospital but has since been released.
"Law enforcement officers are being ambushed outside ICE and Border Patrol sites. These are not random acts — they're targeted attacks," Rep. Buchanan posted, adding, "Congress must pass my Thin Blue Line Act to ensure anyone who tries to kill a cop faces the full weight of the law."
As we covered in January, the Florida Congressman's Thin Blue Line Act makes the murder or attempted murder of a police officer or other first responders an "aggravating" factor in death penalty determinations. Additionally, the Thin Blue Line Act would apply when the officer or responder is killed on duty, because of what they did on duty, or because they are a public official, applying to the state, local, and federal levels.
Earlier in July, Buchanan's colleague, Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL), blasted Democratic rhetoric surrounding ICE detention facilities, such as the new "Alligator Alcatraz," during an appearance on Fox News's Faulkner Focus.
"I wish that they cared half as much for the American people as they do for those people that are in this country illegally, committing crimes and taking advantage of a system that is not designed for them," said Rep. Cammack, adding, "Where is that compassion? Where is the empathy for American citizens that are the victims of these individuals in our country illegally?"
