U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei delivered a strong defense of law enforcement officers during remarks to the Houston Police Officers Union this week, according to prepared remarks released by the Department of Justice.

Ganjei, who leads the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, told the gathering that police officers have faced “unfair and ill-informed demonization” in recent years, according to his prepared speech. He attributed this criticism to “agitators and opportunists” who view officers as “agents of oppression.”

The federal prosecutor’s remarks came during the feast day of St. Michael, whom he described as “the patron saint of law enforcement.” Ganjei said the timing held particular meaning as the archangel “provides protection and comfort to those, like you, that provide protection and comfort to others.”

According to the speech text, Ganjei criticized what he called misguided perspectives on criminal justice reform. He said some people believe authorities should “understand” violent gang members rather than punish them, and that police departments should face defunding or abolition.

“This view of law enforcement is completely out of touch with reality,” Ganjei stated in his prepared remarks. He argued that average Americans support police, noting that when citizens face threats, “they don’t call social workers or community organizers. They don’t call therapists or life coaches. They call men and women like you.”

The U.S. Attorney emphasized the unique demands placed on police officers compared to other professions. According to his remarks, officers face public expectations to “be willing to take a bullet for your fellow citizens” and to “run towards danger, not away from it.”

Ganjei highlighted the personal sacrifices officers make, including working “long, hard, stressful hours that take you from your families.” He suggested many officers have missed children’s activities because “duty called.”

The federal prosecutor also addressed what he characterized as unrealistic expectations for officer performance. According to his prepared speech, police face scrutiny from people in “comfortable, air-conditioned offices, far from danger” whose actions are “nitpicked by people who’ve never had a gun pointed at them or a knife drawn on them.”

He criticized what he called “lazy, armchair quarterbacking” that fails to recognize policing realities. According to Ganjei’s remarks, officers must interact with “the very ugliest aspects of our society” and witness “shocking acts of violence” or discover cases of “neglect or abuse.”

The speech positioned federal and local law enforcement as partners in addressing crime. Ganjei told the officers that while federal prosecutors work with federal agents, they also build cases based on “high-quality police work done by state and local law enforcement officers like yourselves.”

According to his remarks, the current administration has a mandate to “secure the border, annihilate the drug trade, and crack down on violent crime.” Ganjei said his office takes these priorities seriously and that local officers play “a major part” in fulfilling public safety objectives.

The U.S. Attorney concluded by stating his office would “unapologetically continue enforcing the law and protecting our people, no matter what our critics may say,” according to the prepared text.

The Houston Police Officers Union invited Ganjei to deliver the remarks, which the Department of Justice released as prepared speech text this week.