Texas man who allegedly threatened to kill ICE agents, harm DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered to stay in jail
A Texas man charged with making online threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was ordered by a judge on Wednesday to remain in jail.
Robert King, 35, who was charged with transmitting interstate threats in federal court on Monday, was ordered to stay in detention by U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver after a hearing in Dallas on Wednesday afternoon, Fox News confirmed.
Toliver said King is a flight risk and a risk to the community, which solidified her ruling, despite his attorney arguing that he had no prior charges, no weapons and had been seeking treatment for mental health issues, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
King was upset by the ruling and was seen crying as he left the courtroom.
King was arrested in McKinney, Texas, on March 29 after he allegedly posted threats on Facebook towards ICE agents and Noem.
In the first post, King shared a PBS NewsHour article and wrote: "I truly hope, and I mean this with all my heart, that Kristi Noem meets a horrible and agonizing demise I hope she is tried in a war criminal court with the rest of the Nazis when this is all over and I hope she is ripped apart in a gulag. Nothing less for a Nazi scum. This is America now a Nazi fascist state. Disgusting."
He then threatened to kill ICE agents in a second post, where he described them as "a secret police force with no real legal authority," adding that he is "opening fire" on them if he sees agents in his neighborhood. A few days later, he doubled down on the threat.
"Just wanna double down on what I said the other day: if ICE comes to your neighborhood, f****** shoot them and kill them. No mercy for the Gestapo," King wrote, according to federal prosecutors.
During his Wednesday hearing, a government attorney said King's social media threats came to light through the national FBI tip line.
King was also living with his sister and brother-in-law, who is currently a police officer and a former Customs and Border Protection agent, when he allegedly made the threats, which resulted in him being thrown out of the house.
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King will remain in Kaufman County detention, though his attorney wants to transfer him elsewhere so he has access to mental health and other medications.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.