Katie Miller, wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, has taken aim at NBC’s enduring series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (SVU) for its portrayal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, suggesting that the show is fueling violence against ICE officers. In a post on the social media platform X, she shared a headline from an article that claimed the latest episode depicted ICE agents as villains implicated in serious crimes, including sexual assault.
In the Season 27 premiere aired last week, Captain Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, investigates a sexual assault where the key witness, an undocumented maintenance worker named Jorge “George” Ruiz, finds himself in danger during an ICE raid. This tense situation bears a striking resemblance to real-life events, as just a day prior, a man named Joshua Jahn killed one detainee and critically injured two others at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas. Jahn had inscribed “NO ICE” on a bullet casing, although his brother later claimed that he lacked a strong political stance.
The Department of Homeland Security has reported that attacks on ICE officers have surged by 1,000 percent, a statistic that remains unsupported by concrete evidence. Interestingly, the show has often been known for drawing inspiration from current events. In related incidents, real-life ICE operations have caused significant tensions between local law enforcement and federal agents, particularly in so-called sanctuary cities like Los Angeles and New York, where local authorities refuse to routinely check immigration status.
Miller’s comments come amidst a landscape of increasing scrutiny over immigration enforcement practices. Critics argue that the Trump administration’s approach has resulted in the wrongful targeting of law-abiding immigrants, while the portrayal of such incidents on SVU provides a dramatized glimpse into the complexities of these real-world issues.
Highlighting the divide between local police and federal agents, the SVU episode illustrates how tension can escalate in immigration cases. In the episode, Benson attempts to secure Ruiz’s safety, mirroring cases in which immigrants faced dire consequences during ICE operations, such as the harrowing situation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who faced deportation after a tragic error in immigration enforcement. The narrative posits that ICE officers, in some cases, may prioritize enforcement over judicial integrity.
As the conversation surrounding immigration policy continues to evolve, SVU remains a poignant cultural touchpoint that reflects the challenges faced by both immigrants and enforcement agents, urging viewers to consider the broader implications of such dynamics in society.