A rising number of Democrats are advocating for transparency regarding the country’s primary immigration enforcement agency, but there’s a noticeable lack of clarity about the next steps.
Once a viewpoint held by a few, a significant group of Democrats across Washington, D.C., and beyond are now pushing for the complete abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This change in perspective has largely been influenced by the stringent immigration policies of the Trump administration. The fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Preti in January intensified calls from liberal politicians for ICE’s elimination.
The Daily Caller News Foundation contacted around twenty Democratic Congress members who have advocated for ending the agency to clarify their stance regarding the removal of undocumented immigrants. To date, only two offices have provided a response.
“We need a system that prioritizes safety and respect for everyone in the U.S. Sadly, Congress has yet to establish a system or convene the Department of Homeland Security,” stated Mike Shanahan, a spokesperson for New Jersey Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.
“Violent criminal”
In January, Watson Coleman expressed on social media that ICE is “unreformable” and stressed the need to dismantle the agency. Her office clarified that while they still support immigration law enforcement, they find it excessive to arrest individuals solely based on their undocumented status.
“We should focus on prosecuting and removing violent criminals. However, the current leadership of ICE has not made that a priority. The agency has been incentivized to target individuals whose only offenses are illegal entry or overstaying their visas,” Shanahan elaborated.
Watson Coleman has long supported sanctuary cities and was vocal about the importance of curbing ICE’s operations under Biden’s administration. During Trump’s second term, she voted against critical immigration legislation.
Democrats far from the Capitol are also calling for the termination of ICE. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker endorsed the agency’s abolition following the shootings involving federal agents. Pritzker remarked that “it’s time to abolish President Trump’s ICE,” and Johnson echoed that sentiment.
While Pritzker has not made a formal statement, his aides referred to previous indications of his preference for reform rather than total abolition of the agency. He had previously rejected strict immigration measures in favor of sanctuary laws that restrict ICE’s ability to detain illegal immigrants.
Despite many lawmakers recently adopting this rhetoric, the push to abolish ICE has been championed by a select group of Democrats for years.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has consistently opposed the idea of abolishing government agencies since her congressional campaign in 2018. Similarly, Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar has committed to dismantling ICE. Neither representative replied to requests for further comment.
Other members of Congress like Reps. Robert Garcia and Ro Khanna from California, and several others from Illinois and Massachusetts, also did not respond to inquiries for clarification.
“Modern creation”
ICE was created in 2003 as a reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks, which exposed significant communication breakdowns among federal law enforcement. The establishment followed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which formed the Department of Homeland Security and its sub-agencies.
Advocates for abolishing ICE frequently highlight its relatively recent inception, emphasizing that immigration enforcement has been ongoing for decades, predating the agency’s formation. Before ICE, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) handled the apprehension and deportation of undocumented immigrants.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani stated in a recent interview that “immigration existed long before ICE.” When asked whether there would always be an agency tasked with enforcing immigration laws, he differentiated ICE from the broader enforcement entities.
Predicting the repercussions of an abrupt end to current immigration enforcement practices is particularly complex. Although previous actions might offer insights, they are hardly definitive.
On his first day in office, President Biden’s administration postponed most deportations for 100 days, part of a larger plan to dismantle the enforcement measures established during Trump’s presidency. This moratorium was later blocked by a court, but ICE’s deportation numbers subsequently dropped significantly, hitting around 59,000 in 2021, a historic low.
While not outright abolishing agencies, critics argue that Biden’s policies have effectively rendered ICE nonfunctional, coinciding with a substantial increase in illegal immigration.
The year 2024 marked one of the highest rates of illegal immigration recorded, with nearly three million encounters documented. This heightened immigration led to widespread concern, ultimately influencing voters to reconsider past policies. Recent polls suggest declining approval for aggressive immigration measures.
Nonetheless, Democratic leaders appear to distance themselves from the movement to eliminate ICE altogether.
“I hardly hear about abolishing ICE,” remarked House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, highlighting that such discussions mostly come from Republican colleagues. He added that he’s never heard any Democratic member calling for the defunding of law enforcement.
