Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace has openly said she enjoys watching online videos of undocumented immigrants being arrested in court by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
“I have to tell you, one of my favourite things to watch on YouTube these days are the court hearings where illegals are in court and ICE shows up to drag them out of court and deport them,” Mace told host Jon Scott on Fox Report Weekend. She added, “I can think of nothing more American today than keeping our streets safer by getting those violent criminals out of the United States of America, and we all have Donald J. Trump to thank for it.”
The remarks come as Trump’s second term has seen a sharp increase in ICE arrests. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, as of 13 July, over 56,000 people were in ICE detention. More than 70 percent of them had no criminal convictions.
Outrage across party lines
Mace’s comments drew immediate criticism. Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh posted on X, “Getting off on watching YouTube clips of immigrants at their court hearings grabbed by ICE is twisted & cruel.” He added, “The cruelty is the point. The … Republican party base gets off on this cruelty. She knows who she’s talking to.”
Progressive X user Richard Angwin, who has more than 200,000 followers, wrote, “Nancy Mace’s gleeful endorsement of ICE’s courthouse ambushes on undocumented immigrants exposes her as a hypocritical opportunist who prioritises performative cruelty over constitutional due process and American values of fairness.”
Her interview followed a Guardian report on a separate incident in Florida, where ICE officers were filmed telling a teenage US citizen, “You’ve got no rights,” after pulling him over while he was on his way to work with two undocumented men. That video has reignited concerns about the tactics ICE agents use during routine stops.
New push to defund sanctuary cities
During the same Fox News segment, Mace confirmed she is backing legislation aimed at punishing sanctuary cities. These are jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“I have a bill that would defund and take tax breaks away from sanctuary cities all across the country,” Mace said.
Fox News also displayed ICE data during her appearance. It showed that New York City saw fewer than 9,500 detainer requests during Joe Biden’s presidency. In contrast, within the first seven months of Trump’s return to office, more than 6,000 detainers were issued in the same city.
“Even in South Carolina, Democrats and Republicans alike, they don’t want the sanctuary policies,” she claimed. “And that’s why Democrats are going to continue to fail at the ballot box because they’re putting illegals over real, true American citizens.”
Gubernatorial run likely
Mace, currently in her second term representing South Carolina in Congress, is now seriously considering a 2026 bid for governor.
Asked about the rumours, she said, “I’ll be making a decision over the next couple of days about my future.” She continued, “I believe I may be forced to run for governor because I can’t watch my beautiful red state of South Carolina go woke.”
If she runs, she’ll enter a crowded Republican field. Representative Ralph Norman, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, and Attorney General Alan Wilson are all expected contenders.
A recent report by the New Hampshire Union Leader suggested Mace had “all but confirmed” her candidacy during a visit to the early primary state.
A pattern of provocation
This isn’t Mace’s first brush with controversy. Since arriving in Washington in 2021, she has built a public image around divisive cultural issues.
She has repeatedly attacked Delaware’s Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, and opposes laws allowing transgender women to use women’s restrooms. She has even posed for photos outside public toilets in protest.
In February, Mace gave a 50-minute speech in the House accusing four men, including her former fiancé, of rape and abuse. During the televised address, she said to them, “You’ve booked yourself a one-way ticket to hell. It is nonstop. There are no connections.”
Mace’s praise for Trump marks a shift in tone. After the Capitol riots in January 2021, she criticised the former president, saying his “entire legacy was wiped out.” She now calls him “the best president of our lifetime,” according to a recent post on X.
The congresswoman’s alignment with Trump’s immigration agenda and her sharp rhetoric appear to be positioning her firmly in line with the Republican Party’s hard-right base, especially as she eyes higher office.