Democrats divided over 'Abolish ICE' as outrage grows after Minneapolis shooting

Democrats are sharply divided over calls to “Abolish ICE” as anger mounts following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, a development that has renewed debate over the party’s response to aggressive federal immigration raids.

State and local officials in Minnesota and Illinois are suing the Trump administration to try to block the raids, Democratic members of Congress are demanding more oversight, and some are trying to tie their demands to budget talks. A group of House Democrats has called for impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Polls have suggested support for the administration’s deportation policies is falling; a CNN poll found that 51 percent of Americans believed ICE enforcement actions were making cities less safe. Some Democrats have revived the “Abolish ICE” slogan: Micah Lasher posted “Abolish ICE” on X and argued in an interview that it was time to do away with the agency, Representative Shri Thanedar plans to introduce an “Abolish ICE Act,” and Representative Mark Pocan said “ICE is acting like a rogue agency.” Other Democrats have urged caution about the slogan.

Senator Ruben Gallego said resuming calls to abolish the agency would hurt the cause and warned against repeating the “Defund the Police” rhetoric.

Key Topics

Politics, Ice, Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good, Kristi Noem, Abolish Ice