A San Francisco man has been taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations after authorities say he sent a violent threat targeting Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
Investigators say the man, identified as Daniel Barber, wrote an email on June 6 expressing extreme anger over immigration enforcement efforts. In the message, he used aggressive and inflammatory language while calling for harm against ICE personnel.
Following the threat, Immigration and Customs Enforcement opened an investigation and traced the message back to Barber. Officials noted that he has a significant criminal record, including a 1990 conviction for murder and robbery involving intent to cause bodily harm, along with multiple arrests over the years for offenses such as burglary, battery, and vehicle theft. He was arrested on April 10.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis addressed the situation, warning that repeated comparisons of ICE agents to historical oppressive forces can contribute to real-world consequences. She emphasized that ICE officers are ordinary people carrying out their duties, many with families, and said the rising hostility toward them is concerning.
The arrest comes amid a reported surge in threats and violence directed at immigration enforcement personnel. According to the Department of Homeland Security, assaults against ICE agents have risen by 1,300 percent, death threats have increased by 8,000 percent, and attacks involving vehicles have gone up by more than 3,300 percent.