Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who was funded by George Soros, said at a recent “ICE Out” City Hall press conference that he would “hunt down” federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. He went further, adding, “If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities.”
Those remarks aimed at ICE officers immediately drew national attention. Comparing United States law enforcement officers to Nazis is not just inflammatory, but it erodes the basic civic expectation that political disagreements should not turn into personal demonization.
A local district attorney has broad discretion over state criminal prosecutions. But he has no authority to target federal agents for carrying out their duties. While Krasner’s comments may have been rhetorical, language about “hunting down” officers further inflames tensions and contributes to the dehumanization of law enforcement personnel. That kind of rhetoric makes cooperation between local and federal authorities harder at a time when public safety depends on it.
Critics argue that this episode fits a broader pattern. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) and other Pennsylvania Republicans have long said Krasner’s policies have coincided with lower conviction rates for violent crime compared with prior administrations. Concerns about prosecutorial judgment intensified after the killing of former Miss Philadelphia Kada Scott by a defendant who had previously been released on bail in a case handled by Krasner’s office.
When questions arose about bail decisions in that case, Krasner suggested higher bail had not been requested to avoid burdening a judge. The court system pushed back forcefully. Marty O’Rourke, a spokesman for the courts, responded that judges are available around the clock to address urgent matters, calling Krasner’s comments “a sad attempt … to find a scapegoat for his own failings.” The exchange highlighted friction between the district attorney’s office and the judiciary over responsibility and urgency in violent crime cases.
State lawmakers have also clashed with Krasner. In 2022, the Pennsylvania House voted to impeach him, arguing his policies had undermined public safety. The effort ultimately failed after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the impeachment proceedings had expired at the end of the legislative session. Krasner has since remained in office and won reelection, reflecting deep political divisions over his approach to criminal justice.
That political debate is legitimate. Voters and lawmakers can, and should, argue about bail reform, incarceration policy, and how aggressively to prosecute certain crimes. Immigration enforcement policy is also a fair subject for disagreement.
But invoking the imagery of Nazi hunters in reference to federal agents crosses a line. Prosecutors hold a unique position of trust. Their job is not only to enforce the law but to maintain confidence in the fairness and stability of the justice system. Language that suggests personal targeting of law enforcement officers, even rhetorically, risks escalating political conflict into something more corrosive.
DEMOCRATS WANT TO UNMASK ICE OFFICERS TO CAUSE THEM VIOLENCE AND HARM
At a time when violent crime, immigration, and public trust in institutions are all under intense national scrutiny, leaders at every level should be lowering the temperature, not raising it. Disagreements over federal immigration policy do not justify rhetoric that frames fellow public servants as enemies to be pursued.
Public officials can criticize policies. They can challenge federal priorities. But they should do so in a way that reinforces respect for the rule of law and the people tasked with carrying it out. When the language of politics starts to sound like the language of manhunts, it is not just decorum that suffers — it is the public’s faith that the justice system is guided by principle rather than anger.