Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is pushing back after people online believed the agency posted a photo of an employee who had a Nazi-related tattoo on his elbow.
The photo, which appears to have been first tweeted in late May, shows a veteran who is part of the “HERO Child-Rescue Corps,” according to the agency.
In the photo, the employee has several tattoos on his left arm, including one around his elbow that some people believed to be of an Iron Cross–a symbol used by Nazis that has become a hate symbol among white supremacists, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
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However, on Monday, ICE pushed back against the notion, claiming that the tattoo was a Maltese cross, a symbol they say is associated with firefighters.
The agency also said the employee in the photo, Justin Gaertner, was a U.S. Marine veteran who works as a computer forensics analyst. ICE said much of the backlash to the photo came after a writer for the New Yorker tweeted about it.
“Per Gaertner, the tattoo on his left elbow is actually ‘Titan 2,’ the symbol for his platoon while he fought in Afghanistan,” ICE wrote in a statement that they tweeted. “The wring on his right arm is the Spartan Creed which is about protecting family and children. Anyone attempting to advance their personal political opinions by baselessly slandering an American hero should be issuing apologies to Mr. Gaertner and retractions.”
Read the full ICE statement regarding erroneous attacks on ICE employee for #military tattoo: pic.twitter.com/BwA8kFWNFV
— ICE (@ICEgov) June 18, 2018
Tensions between Americans and various immigration-related government agencies have been high in recent weeks.
While ICE may be pushing back against accusations against their employees having Nazi tattoos, the agency (among others) has drawn scorn for separating families who are captured after crossing the border and keeping them in detention facilities.
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