Legislation Proposed to Abolish ICE
While discussions surrounding the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been ongoing among some on the left, Democratic Representative Delia Ramirez from Illinois is now pushing for actual legislation to take that step and perhaps even more.
In a news conference on Wednesday, Ramirez announced her plan to introduce a bill that would not only eliminate ICE but also reallocate its funding to a progressive community safety initiative.
“This new department aims to prioritize humanity instead of ‘surveillance’ and ‘terrorizing people,'” she stated.
At the event in Chicago, Ramirez advocated for the Reimagining Safety Act, emphasizing that funds currently directed to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security should instead support programs essential for “working families.”
She was accompanied by a group of politicians, immigration rights advocates, and community organizers at the conference.
The proposed legislation envisions a “new human- and community-centered federal department,” which would foster “collective safety.” In an interview with WFLD-TV, Ramirez reiterated the emphasis on humanity in the plans compared to the current focus of immigration enforcement agencies.
Calls to dismantle ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have intensified among Democrats following a recent shooting involving ICE agents in Austin, Texas.
During previous congressional hearings, Ramirez has made comparisons between ICE agents and the Ku Klux Klan, as well as to slave patrols. She’s also been active in sponsoring bills that aim to limit ICE’s operations.
In July, she remarked, “ICE is shooting people who are going to work, taking their children to school, and even visiting as tourists. The number of ICE victims keeps rising. The actions of ICE’s masked death squads highlight the blatant cruelty of policies from [President Donald] Trump and [Stephen] Miller, which are funded by our tax dollars. It’s time to end this ‘ICE age.’
As of now, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not provided comments regarding this legislative push.
Interestingly, Ramirez has made headlines in the past for expressing that she identifies as a “proud Guatemalan” first and an American second. Additionally, it has been reported that she is married to an undocumented immigrant who received DACA protection during the Obama administration.
