James McCabe

United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch March 4, 1923

Age 48

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

The Vigil Panel 44 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 10

Incident

Immigration Inspector James McCabe succumbed to injuries sustained three years earlier while attempting to apprehend suspected Chinese smugglers on the Detroit River near Ecorse, Michigan. He had received information that several illegal aliens were to be smuggled into Ecorse from Canada via boat. He set out in a motorboat to locate them. As he came alongside a boat with two people in it one of the men struck him in the head with an object, knocking him unconscious. Inspector McCabe remained unconscious in his boat for several hours. He was able to make it to shore after regaining consciousness. One of the men in the boat he was attempting to intercept was later shot and killed by federal officers but the other escaped. Inspector McCabe eventually succumbed to complications of the head injury on March 4th, 1923. Inspector McCabe had served with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service for 27 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Immigration Inspector McCabe gave the United States Department of Justice 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Immigration Inspector McCabe.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjinsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1923

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

Age 48

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object

Offender Shot and killed

Immigration Inspector James McCabe is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, 5 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 45.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service

of 11 officers

45.5% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious