Democratic Lawmakers Push to Defund ICE Following Fatal Shooting
There’s an escalating call among Democratic lawmakers to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to consider impeachment of the Department of Homeland Security. This comes in light of an incident where a federal agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota.
However, this movement presents a dilemma for Democratic leaders. Just earlier this week, they stated that the idea of defunding ICE was off the table. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated that their focus remains on the Affordable Care Act.
The tragic shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis has reignited fervor among Democrats. Representative Delia Ramirez from Illinois expressed outrage, pointing out, “Everyone on my side is deeply disturbed by what happened. This woman was a U.S. citizen, shot unjustly, and there’s been a lot of misinformation surrounding it.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also weighed in, criticizing ICE’s actions and stating, “They’re making people disappear, and it’s increasingly concerning who they target.” Meanwhile, Rep. Robin Kelly from Illinois mentioned plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Secretary Kristi Noem.
Kelly stated, “Noem is an incompetent leader and a disgrace to democracy. I am moving to impeach her for obstruction of justice, breach of public trust, and self-dealing.” She emphasized the havoc caused by Noem’s ICE agents in the Minneapolis area, which she feels mirrors earlier disruptions in Chicago.
The Democratic party, while facing an uphill battle, might still have a chance to disrupt legislative proceedings regarding ICE funding, as lawmakers like Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut have called for a reevaluation of the budget that funds ICE, citing concerns over the agency’s misconduct.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Washington also supported this stance, asserting that Congress shouldn’t continue funding what she termed “illegal killers,” referring to ICE as a “rogue force.”
