U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced in early October the arrest of a Warren, Michigan man who vandalized the agency’s Mt. Elliot office with profanity-laced graffiti.
Corey Cook was charged with depredation of government property after he was arrested by special agents with ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
According to court documents, Cook was captured on surveillance footage spray painting “F— ICE” on a sign in front of the agency’s Mt. Elliot location. Cook appeared in federal court in early October and a preliminary examination has been set for October 24. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, ICE said in a press release.
“Today’s arrest should send a strong message that acts of profane vandalism of federal property will not go unchallenged,” said ICE Special Agent in Charge Keith Barwick. “These appalling attempts to intimidate and disrespect the federal workforce serve no purpose and only further heighten our commitment to uphold the law.”
John Tiano, a special agent in charge with DHS’ Office of Inspector General, said the arrest should “stand as an example” that DHS will “not tolerate acts of vandalism targeting the department’s facilities.”
“Such acts of disrespect will never diminish the dangerous and very important work that the men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement perform every day to keep this country safe,” he added.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office Director Rebecca Adducci said “casting aspersions about ICE only spreads fear in a community.”
“This is unfair and without merit. Our officers do their jobs professionally, humanely, and treat those they encounter with dignity and respect,” she added. “It is unconscionable when those who have ideological or political beliefs that differ from the law misdirect their attacks on ICE officers who are charged with upholding laws Congress has passed.”
Michigan’s Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) has repeatedly called for abolishing ICE, an agency that she’s described as “a recent invention that makes our neighborhoods less safe, vindictively and cruelly tearing families apart.”
ICE is terrorizing our communities with zero accountability. ICE is a recent invention that makes our neighborhoods less safe, vindictively and cruelly tearing families apart. I'm proud to stand with the growing movement to #AbolishICE! https://t.co/mrvrriLsl6
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 30, 2018
The Michigan Republican Party’s headquarters in Lansing was vandalized with the exact same message in June. Laura Cox, chairwoman of the Michigan GOP, said she believes it was because she’s a former ICE agent.
“Over the weekend, Michigan GOP was vandalized attacking my previous role as an ICE agent,” she said. “This criminal act by the radical left will not intimidate me or my staff. Donald Trump is working to fix the crisis at our border and this deserves serious discussion, not graffiti.”
Over the weekend, @MIGOP was vandalized attacking my previous role as an @ICEgov agent.
This criminal act by the radical left will not intimidate me or my staff. @realDonaldTrump is working to fix the crisis at our border and this deserves serious discussion, not graffiti. pic.twitter.com/wgRT8av5IW
— Laura Cox (@LauraCoxMI) June 23, 2019
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “ICE Office” by GoogleMaps and “ICE Officer” by ICE.
