The Department of Homeland Security said that a man recently filmed dressed in what resembles a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniform being beaten next to a Honolulu street is not affiliated with the agency in any way.
A recent viral video showed a man wearing a tactical vest with the word "ICE" being punched and kicked on a street in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood Saturday night. The video caused an uproar on social media amid heightened concerns about rising assaults on ICE agents and debate over whether officers should wear masks to protect their identities.
The video shows the man confronting a small group that throws liquid at him. Three individuals grab him, pull him to the ground and begin punching and kicking him. He eventually goes limp as one individual continues to pound his face while two others hold him. The man later gets up and stumbles away, appearing to have a bloody nose.
A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that despite the vest, "this person is NOT an ICE agent and is not connected to DHS in any way."
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The spokesperson did not offer any details on the true identity of the man but emphasized that "anyone caught impersonating a federal immigration agent will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
They added that "impersonating a federal immigration officer endangers public safety and erodes trust in law enforcement."
The Honolulu Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that a 15-year-old male is being charged with attempted assault in connection with the incident. The department shared a report that stated the suspect was originally arrested for second-degree assault, but that his charges were reduced to attempted assault.
The report lists the time of assault at 8:12 p.m. on Saturday. The age of the victim listed on the report is 52. Neither the suspect's nor the victim’s identities are listed.
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A spokesperson for the department noted they were not able to offer any additional information "as this investigation is active and ongoing."
The attack occurred the same day a "No Dictators" protest opposing the Trump administration took place. The protest, held in conjunction with "No Kings" demonstrations across the continental U.S., occurred several miles from Waikiki in downtown Honolulu earlier that morning.
Local outlet Big Island Now reported that organizers changed the name of the Honolulu No Kings protest to No Dictators "out of respect for Hawaiʻi’s history of aliʻi (chiefs and kings)."
Though the individual in this instance was not an ICE agent, DHS has reported a dramatic rise in assaults on its officers. Earlier this year, DHS reported a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against ICE officers and a 3,200 percent increase in vehicular attacks. The agency also said ICE officers have experienced an 8,000% increase in death threats.
During a No Kings protest in Los Angeles over the weekend, a protester was seen spray-painting a federal building with the message, "Kill your local ICE agent," along with two targets.
