Senator Ashley Moody, Republican of Florida, introduced legislation this week aimed at imposing criminal penalties on individuals who harass or obstruct federal immigration agents as they perform their duties, a move she framed as necessary amid sharply escalating threats and attacks on federal personnel.
The proposal, known as the Halo Act, would make it illegal for anyone who has been issued a “stand back” warning to approach within 25 feet of a federal officer or to interfere in other ways with the officer’s work. The measure encompasses actions such as physical intimidation or making threats against federal immigration agents. Individuals who violate the law could face up to five years in prison and a fine.
Moody, who has long emphasized support for law enforcement, highlighted both her personal and professional connection to the issue. “As the wife of a law enforcement officer, former attorney general, and now United States senator, I have always supported and fought for the selfless individuals who protect and serve our nation,” she said when announcing the bill. She added that she was “appalled” by recent reports of escalating harassment of federal officers, arguing that such behavior “must end.”
Supporters of Moody’s proposal point to what they describe as an increasingly volatile climate surrounding immigration enforcement. They cite a surge in assaults, death threats, stalking, doxxing, and even bounties placed on federal agents who participate in enforcement operations. In June, the Department of Homeland Security reported a 500 percent rise in violent attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel as they carry out their assignments.
The rise in incidents comes as protests outside several ICE facilities have turned violent, particularly as far-left demonstrators attempt to obstruct the Trump administration’s efforts to deport individuals deemed dangerous. According to federal data, immigration agents have been subjected to 99 attacks involving vehicles—more than twice the 47 such incidents recorded during the same period a year earlier.
The strain has extended across the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement arms. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has documented 71 vehicular attacks since January 20, compared with 45 during the same stretch in 2024, an increase of 58 percent, the agency said. ICE agents have experienced 28 vehicular attacks since January 20—a dramatic spike from the two recorded during the same period the previous year—an increase DHS characterized as 1,300 percent.
For proponents of the Halo Act, the numbers bolster what they view as an urgent need to strengthen legal protections for federal personnel tasked with enforcing immigration laws. They argue that agents conducting routine enforcement work have increasingly become targets for harassment and intimidation, and that the federal government must ensure these officers are not hindered by threats or interference.
Moody’s legislation seeks to provide that assurance through clear criminal penalties for those who confront or impede immigration officers after receiving a lawful order to stand back. Whether the bill advances remains uncertain, but its introduction marks a pointed effort to respond to the mounting confrontations surrounding the nation’s immigration enforcement system.
[READ MORE: Trump Deepens Strategic Partnership With Saudi Arabia, Designating Kingdom a Major Non-NATO Ally]
