Press ReleaseBipartisan2026-06-04

Rep. Pfluger Presses Democrats to Support Strengthening Penalties for Doxxing or Harrassing Federal Agents

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This press release from Representative August Pfluger (R-TX) was published on 2026-06-04 and titled "Rep. Pfluger Presses Democrats to Support Strengthening Penalties for Doxxing or Harrassing Federal Agents".

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Rep. Pfluger Presses Democrats to Support Strengthening Penalties for Doxxing or Harrassing Federal Agents

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, secured bipartisan commitment for legislation to strengthen federal penalties for doxxing, threatening, and intimidating federal law enforcement officers during a full committee hearing with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin. During the hearing, Rep. Pfluger highlighted the recent rise in threats against federal agents and called for stronger protections for the men and women who serve on the front lines of protecting our homeland security. After pressing his Democrat colleagues to support these actions, a few on the committee committed to joining him. Then in his exchange with Secretary Mullin, the two discussed the current terror threat environment facing the United States, ongoing efforts from President Trump and DHS to identify and apprehend individuals on the terror watchlist, and the Department's plans to strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) role as the federal government's lead cybersecurity agency. Rep. Pfluger concluded by reaffirming his commitment to supporting DHS personnel and advancing policies that enhance the safety of federal officers, strengthen border security, and protect the American people from evolving threats. Watch Rep. Pfluger's full exchange with Secretary Mullin in the hearing here or by clicking the image below: Rep. Pfluger's exchange was also highlighted on Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News. Check out the clip here or by clicking the image below: Read the full exchange between Rep. Pfluger and Secretary Mullin below: Rep. Pfluger: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Secretary. Thanks for your leadership. Thanks for coming in with an attitude of establishing the rule of law and not picking and choosing. If there's one thing I disagree with on your opening statement, you have had secretaries that pick and choose, not you, but Secretary Mayorkas picked and chose which laws he would enforce, and as a result we had an impeachment that started in this very committee room. I spoke to some of your agents, incredible people, over the weekend, and I asked them a couple of questions, and said, "Give me an idea of what's happening in New Jersey [with] the sickening threats that we are seeing. Give me an idea of what that means to your officers and your agents.” The entire country saw a person threaten one of your agents and said, “I will effing kill you, and I will effing kill your family.” That is absolutely disgusting. There is zero room for tolerance in this country for something like that. Your agents recommended that we work on enhancing the penalties for doxing, for intimidating, for threatening federal agents, including Customs and Border Protection agents. That's exactly what I'm going to do, and I want to ask my Democrat colleagues right here in this committee room right now, who wants to join me in legislation to enhance federal penalties for doxing, intimidating, or threatening federal agents, who…. **Gets interrupted** Rep. Goldman: Will you include federal judges? I’ll join you if you include federal judges. Rep. Correa: And if you’d include elected officials, because all of us have gotten our families threatened as well. Chairman Andrew Garbino: The Gentleman will suspend. This is your time. Questions are directed at the secretary. Please continue. Rep. Pfluger: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, we're going to work in a bipartisan manner to protect your agents, and you just heard it from my colleague, Mr. Goldman, and you heard it from my colleague, Mr. Correa. We're going to work in a bipartisan manner to protect your agents, to make sure that that never happens again, and [that] those penalties are enhanced as much as humanly possible. Secretary Mullin: I think it should be that way too, because we have your colleagues from the other side of the aisle, a lot of times talk about the mask and why there are masked men, but it's the doxing that takes place. This officer that was threatened didn't have a mask on, but he does have a family, and what's interesting is they knew his family, because they're very sophisticated. These aren't just peaceful rioters or peaceful protesters out there, they're well funded, and they have technology, and we see it immediately. When we have officers that are out there that don't have a mask on, they get doxed, and their family starts getting attacked on social media, they start getting attacked at their schools, they start getting verbally attacked, they start getting verbally attacked at their schools and at their homes. It should be [that] if we want to eliminate the officers from having to wear a mask, then increase the penalties [for agitators], and we should all agree [that] if they dox them or they threaten them in any way whatsoever, it should be a very stiff penalty to get all their attention, and that those tha

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Rep. Pfluger Presses Democrats to Support Strengthening Penalties for Doxxing or Harrassing Federal Agents WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, secured bipartisan commitment for legislation to strengthen federal penalties for doxxing, threatening, and intimidating federal law enforcement officers during a full committee hearing with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin. During the hearing, Rep. Pfluger highlighted the recent rise in threats against federal agents and called for stronger protections for the men and women who serve on the front lines of protecting our homeland security. After pressing his Democrat colleagues to support these actions, a few on the committee committed to joining him. Then in his exchange with Secretary Mullin, the two discussed the current terror threat environment facing the United States, ongoing efforts from President Trump and DHS to identify and apprehend individuals on the terror watchlist, and the Department's plans to strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) role as the federal government's lead cybersecurity agency. Rep. Pfluger concluded by reaffirming his commitment to supporting DHS personnel and advancing policies that enhance the safety of federal officers, strengthen border security, and protect the American people from evolving threats. Watch Rep. Pfluger's full exchange with Secretary Mullin in the hearing here or by clicking the image below: Rep. Pfluger's exchange was also highlighted on Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News. Check out the clip here or by clicking the image below: Read the full exchange between Rep. Pfluger and Secretary Mullin below: Rep. Pfluger: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Secretary. Thanks for your leadership. Thanks for coming in with an attitude of establishing the rule of law and not picking and choosing. If there's one thing I disagree with on your opening statement, you have had secretaries that pick and choose, not you, but Secretary Mayorkas picked and chose which laws he would enforce, and as a result we had an impeachment that started in this very committee room. I spoke to some of your agents, incredible people, over the weekend, and I asked them a couple of questions, and said, "Give me an idea of what's happening in New Jersey [with] the sickening threats that we are seeing. Give me an idea of what that means to your officers and your agents.” The entire country saw a person threaten one of your agents and said, “I will effing kill you, and I will effing kill your family.” That is absolutely disgusting. There is zero room for tolerance in this country for something like that. Your agents recommended that we work on enhancing the penalties for doxing, for intimidating, for threatening federal agents, including Customs and Border Protection agents. That's exactly what I'm going to do, and I want to ask my Democrat colleagues right here in this committee room right now, who wants to join me in legislation to enhance federal penalties for doxing, intimidating, or threatening federal agents, who…. **Gets interrupted** Rep. Goldman: Will you include federal judges? I’ll join you if you include federal judges. Rep. Correa: And if you’d include elected officials, because all of us have gotten our families threatened as well. Chairman Andrew Garbino: The Gentleman will suspend. This is your time. Questions are directed at the secretary. Please continue. Rep. Pfluger: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, we're going to work in a bipartisan manner to protect your agents, and you just heard it from my colleague, Mr. Goldman, and you heard it from my colleague, Mr. Correa. We're going to work in a bipartisan manner to protect your agents, to make sure that that never happens again, and [that] those penalties are enhanced as much as humanly possible. Secretary Mullin: I think it should be that way too, because we have your colleagues from the other side of the aisle, a lot of times talk about the mask and why there are masked men, but it's the doxing that takes place. This officer that was threatened didn't have a mask on, but he does have a family, and what's interesting is they knew his family, because they're very sophisticated. These aren't just peaceful rioters or peaceful protesters out there, they're well funded, and they have technology, and we see it immediately. When we have officers that are out there that don't have a mask on, they get doxed, and their family starts getting attacked on social media, they start getting attacked at their schools, they start getting verbally attacked, they start getting verbally attacked at their schools and at their homes. It should be [that] if we want to eliminate the officers from having to wear a mask, then increase the penalties [for agitators], and we should all agree [that] if they dox them or they threaten them in any way whatsoever, it should be a very stiff penalty to get all their attention, and that those tha