Changes in Immigration Enforcement Stance from Arkansas Senate Candidate
A Democrat vying for a Senate seat in Arkansas, Hallie Shoffner, has recently shifted her position regarding immigration enforcement, which she previously aimed to defund. Shoffner, a newcomer to politics and a farmer by trade, is challenging incumbent Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican, in the upcoming election.
With Election Day approaching, Cotton has started attacking Shoffner for what he claims is a reversal in her stance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency that has been a contentious topic in Congress this year.
When asked about her position on defunding ICE during an event in June at an immigrant business expo in Springdale, Arkansas, Shoffner stated, “I would vote to defund ICE as it exists right now.” She noted that the agency was created not long ago but has strayed from its original purpose.
Shoffner added, “I would not spend one more dime on ICE, not just because of the human dignity issue, but also because it is now the largest law enforcement agency in the country.” She emphasized that ICE’s budget is significantly larger than that of organizations dedicated to combating child sex trafficking.
The topic of ICE became particularly divisive after high-profile incidents this year and was central to the longest government shutdown, which occurred when Senate Democrats refused to fund the agency without strict reforms. This led Senate Republicans to allocate $70 billion for ICE and Border Patrol funding.
In response to Cotton’s campaign ads, which cut her comments to portray her negatively, Shoffner clarified her position through a Facebook post, stating, “I don’t want to defund ICE; I want to reform it.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Cotton accused Shoffner of aligning herself with prominent progressives and warned that defunding ICE would allow criminals to evade deportation, thus making Arkansas a more dangerous place.
Shoffner’s challenge against Cotton, who is seeking a third term, is seen as one of the more daunting races for Democrats in this election cycle. Arkansas has not elected a Democratic senator since Mark Pryor’s defeat by Cotton in 2014. Moreover, Shoffner lacks the support of the Democratic establishment, including influential figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
She has also distanced herself from Schumer, previously stating that while national Democrats focus on affordability, Arkansans might view Schumer with skepticism regarding the true nature of affordability in their lives.
