John Block, a House representative from New Mexico, has criticized Democratic rhetoric that equates the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), describing it as extreme and a threat to public safety. Block made this statement on the social media platform X.
"Crazed leftists call us “fascists” and are comparing ICE agents to the KKK," said JOHN BLOCK, New Mexico State Representative for 51st District (R). "They think deporting criminal aliens, in accordance to federal law, is the same as WHITE SUPREMACIST TERRORIST KKK members lynching Black people. Who in the world elected people like this? Tone down the crazy, Eleanor! You're getting people killed."
In March 2025, the headquarters of New Mexico’s Republican Party in Albuquerque was set on fire and vandalized with graffiti reading "ICE = KKK." This incident sparked intense partisan reactions. According to Reuters, Republicans condemned the attack as politically motivated and rejected any comparison between ICE and the Klan. Democrats also criticized the violence but did not support the analogy. The event reignited debates over immigration enforcement rhetoric within the state.
According to reports from ICE and Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) project, ICE conducted 271,484 removals in fiscal year 2024, including nearly 89,000 individuals with criminal convictions. Arrests and detainer requests also saw an increase. In 2025, independent monitoring indicated that ICE averaged about 990 daily book-ins, maintaining a detained population of approximately 57,000 people.
The historical context of the Ku Klux Klan is marked by its peak membership of 4–6 million during the 1920s before its decline due to scandals and opposition. According to Britannica and Tuskegee Institute archives, between 1882 and 1968, there were documented instances of 4,743 lynchings in the United States, including 3,446 Black victims. These figures underscore the Klan's association with racial terror.
Block has represented District 51 in New Mexico's House of Representatives since January 2023 after winning the election in 2022. He is also known for founding and editing The Piñon Post, a conservative news outlet. His legislative interests focus on energy, education, and conservative social priorities reflecting his constituency's concerns.
