Assistant Secretary to the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin is setting the record straight.

She took to X to address a video that was making the rounds. In it, a man who appears to have an SS tattoo, linked to Nazism, is identified as an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Given the recent tensions around ICE, it didn’t take long for the video to reach over 10 million views, with the majority of the comments coming from enraged individuals taking it at face value.

Watch:

ICE agent gets caught off duty with a Nazi SS tattoo on his neck (Minneapolis, MN 1/5/26) pic.twitter.com/ABAPlchQb9

— Devin Nunes’ Cattle Dog (@Kaos_Vs_Control) January 6, 2026

But McLaughlin claims that this allegation is untrue, and the “imbecile” has never been employed as an ICE agent.

This imbecile is NOT an ICE officer or agent. He was and NEVER has been employed by ICE.

This type of garbage is contributing to ICE officers facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8000% increase in death threats as they… https://t.co/EdohkxhuPu

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 10, 2026

“This imbecile is NOT an ICE officer or agent. He was and NEVER has been employed by ICE. This type of garbage is contributing to ICE officers facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8000% increase in death threats as they put their lives on the line every day to defend the lives of American citizens,” she wrote.

X users reacted to the post:

This is what they do. They lie and make up stories to harm our great ICE agents. It’s truly sick.

— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) January 10, 2026

One look at him told me that.

— Auntie C (@AuntieC13) January 10, 2026

Whole thing looks staged.

— Tony Crabbe (@TonyCrabbe1) January 10, 2026

Just wait until they start shooting themselves in order to blame it on ICE. It’s coming.

— Victoria Bestolarides (@vhbesto) January 10, 2026

This pot-bellied imposter is not ICE. Don’t be stupid, people.

— Mark James (@gymrat672024) January 10, 2026

I would not be surprised in the least if it were discovered he was a lifelong liberal democrat voter!

— SrkStation (@SrkStation) January 10, 2026

Seems staged to me

You don’t talk to grown men from Texas like that and get away with it so easily

— Steven (@Steven162375) January 10, 2026

I thought the left was super on board with hating jews?

But seriously what evidence is he offering that this guy is ice? Anyone in law enforcement isnt going to be afraid of a rando with a cell phone.

— Liberated Firefly (@freefirefly13) January 10, 2026