Over 150 ICE and Border Patrol Agents Committed Sexual or Violent Crimes Against Women and Children
PRESS BRIEFING/REPORT UPDATE
Panel Discussion Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 11am ET
Registration Required; Embargoed Copies for Journalists and Content Creators
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS — Last month the nation learned, in horror, about the many reasons ICE should not have hired David Brouillete — the agent who killed Johan Sebastián while he was driving. At the same time, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance published a report about 59 other ICE and Border Patrol agents with violent and/or sexually abusive criminal histories. As soon as we hit post in late July, the report became obsolete.
On August 18, at 11am ET, OIA will release a major update, with nearly 100 new names, alarming offenses, and a panel of experts to discuss what Congress must do to protect the public from the “worst of the worst” — criminal agents with guns and badges.
WHAT: Report release and panel discussion. “The Worst of the Worst” documents over 150 cases of ICE and Border Patrol agents, officers, and contractors who committed sexual or violent offenses, most against women and children, many while in uniform. Se ofrecerán comentarios parciales en español.
WHEN: Tuesday, August 18, 11am ET
WHERE: Virtual via Zoom (registration required). After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with individual instructions.
WHO: Lauren Bonds, Executive Director, National Police Accountability Project; Lisalyn R. Jacobs, CEO, Just Solutions; Peter L. Markowitz, Professor of Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University and Co-Director, Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic; Lilian Serrano, Director, Southern Border Communities Coalition; and Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director, Ohio Immigrant Alliance (report author & moderator).
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: This Zoom press conference will take place the day after Members of Congress, led by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), host a shadow hearing in Biddeford, Maine, looking into Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) use of force and abuse of power that resulted in Joan Sebastián’s death. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security; Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.); and other Members of Congress will join Pingree. Media who wish to attend in person must fill out this form. The hearing, which starts at 11am ET on August 17, will also be livestreamed on Rep. Pingree’s YouTube channel.
“The Worst of the Worst” is an update of OIA’s July 2026 report, “They Walk Among Us,” which documented 59 cases and generated significant media attention. It reveals how a culture of misogyny, racism, and an above-the-law mentality, was embedded in these agencies from their inception, and has become even more dangerous and deadly under the current administration. Panelist Lisalyn Jacobs will share how ICE’s actions exemplify a problem so uniquely toxic and specific to the current administration that she has given it its own name, “metastatic masculinity.”
In one of its more shocking details, the report tracks 35 cases from just the first 19 months of the second Trump administration — more than any four-year presidential term in the dataset. One is Samuel Saxon, the Cincinnati ICE assistant field officer director who pleaded guilty to a federal felony and is awaiting sentencing, as well as a trial in his domestic violence case. On Tuesday, August 11, Fox 19 News reported that Saxon was no longer employed by the agency. Saxon figures prominently in OIA’s “Worst of the Worst” and “They Walk Among Us” reports.
“The Worst of the Worst” names every agent, details their crimes, provides sources, and traces the systemic vetting failures, training cuts, and accountability gaps that allowed them to remain in positions of power. But the report doesn’t stop with salacious details. It outlines the policy and budgetary factors that created this killing machine, such as bipartisan support for ICE and the Border Patrol’s unchecked growth. It also recommends solutions, which we will discuss and debate with our panel of experts on August 18.
For example, it is shocking that immigration enforcement agents use guns, arrest people driving in U.S. communities, and lock people up in criminal jails when attempting to enforce civil immigration laws. No other civil enforcement agents are allowed to work that way.
EMBARGOED COPIES: Reporters and other content creators can request an embargoed copy of the updated report by filling out this Google form. You will also have to sign a non-disclosure agreement as a second step.
REPORT ACCESS: The full report will be available at noon ET on August 18 at ohioimmigrant.org/research.
