PoliticsJ.D. Vance Defends ICE as 'Patriots' But Says Agents Who 'Make Mistakes' Will Be 'Investigated'
J.D. Vance said ICE agents who err should be disciplined.
Oct. 19 2026, Published 4:37 p.m. ET
Vice President J.D. Vance surprisingly admitted that ICE agents sometimes "really s---- up," going on to make the eyebrow-raising claim that the Trump administration will "prosecute" and "investigate" when they do.
During a Michigan town hall on October 17, he also said the Trump administration has already handed out discipline to ICE agents — but he refused to provide an example.
Vance Says Administration Has 'Responsibility to Prosecute' ICE Agents That Err
Vance promised that the Trump administration simply doesn't 'advertise' disciplinary actions.
Speaking to CBS' Tony Doukoupil, Vance said of ICE agents, "Most of them are amazing people who are patriots and they wanna do a good job protecting their country. Sometimes you have some people who make mistakes."
He continued, "Sometimes you have some people who really s---- up. And obviously, we have a responsibility to prosecute, investigate when people do s---- up."
When Doukopil asked Vance to name a time the Trump administration had disciplined an ICE agent, the vice president refused to name an example, saying, "We don't always advertise that stuff, as you know, Tony, because we believe that people have to be judged in a court of law and through a normal investigatory process."
Vance Blamed Renee Good for Her Own Killing
The killers of Renee Good and Jonathan Ross have not been disciplined, at least to public knowledge.
The vice president was arguably the most powerful figure who immediately accused slain Minnesota protestor Renee Good of trying to ram ICE agent Jonathan Ross with her car in January, though video footage showed Good turning away from Ross as he fired multiple shots through her windshield.
No criminal charges were ever brought against Ross, nor against the agents who killed Alex Pretti, another protestor killed by Border Patrol agents earlier this year.
However, Vance insisted that the Trump administration "disciplines" ICE agents.
"There are a number of cases where we've investigated and either provided further training, or sometimes even provided disciplinary situations within ICE," he said.
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ICE Agents in Notable Incidents Never Disciplined
ICE agents in controversial shootings have not been disciplined.
ICE has shot or killed numerous people on American streets in recent months, yet the administration has never announced disciplinary action for the officers involved.
In July, ICE agents shot Colombian man Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero.
In October, ICE agents shot Dominican man Oscar Belgal in the neck while his 5-year-old son was with him in his car. Days later, video showed an ICE agent seemingly intentionally running over a Houston man who was not the target of the operation in the first place.
No disciplinary actions were announced in any of the incidents.
Vance Does Damage Control Ahead of Midterms
Vance hinted he may not run in 2028, citing his family.
Vance's comments may come as damage control for the spiraling approval of the Trump administration's immigration efforts, as the majority of Americans believe ICE and other agencies go too far.
Vance also made headlines during the Town Hall by suggesting he may not pursue a presidential run in 2028, though many believe he is the heir apparent to the Trump administration.
He claimed he might not run because his wife, Usha Vance, "never loved politics." The couple have four children together.
