Congressional Democrats thought the recent hysteria and hyperbole surrounding the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy was an October surprise that came months early. Photos of illegal alien mothers with agitated children, unverified secret recordings of crying toddlers and a servile media pushing the narrative of the no-border interest groups made a “blue wave” election more than a possibility.
Last week, Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used an “Abolish ICE” platform to win an upset victory, in New York’s Democratic Primary, over 10-term Rep. Joe Crowley and rock-star status among liberals and anti-Trump activists.
Perspective 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York also hopped on the open border bandwagon hoping to cement their activist bona fides.
“Abolish ICE” was no longer a whisper at fringe gatherings, it was now the spoken – and more often screamed – mantra of the Democratic Party. While avoiding questions about the policy implications, some politicians and consultants appeared to be having difficulty trying to tame the mass-amnesty beast unleashed in recent weeks.
But, the masses were demanding heads in the streets, others were “moderating” their rhetoric (just not their actual policies).On Sunday, former Obama official and frequent Trump critic Walter Shaub tweeted that he had “deleted all tweets about my concerns over the potential ineffectiveness of ‘Abolish ICE’ because people are unfairly attacking me as though I support ICE. If our cause can’t tolerate questioning, we’ve got a heck of an uphill climb in store for us.”
Then, in an apparent attempt to walk back its radical stance, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus circulated a memo among Capitol Hill Democrats calling not to abolish ICE but for “increasing transparency and accountability.”
The memo, obtained by The Daily Beast concluded that “abolishing ICE without changing President Trump’s disastrous immigration policy will not solve the problem.”
In a Sunday interview on CNN, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Hawaii) maintained that without a change in administration policies, there would be no point to abolishing ICE.
“You abolish ICE now, you still have the same president,” said Duckworth, adding that “there are a lot of other things we can do before we get to that point.”
Her colleague, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ran from the question of whether he favored abolishing ICE when asked directly.
“My priority is to abolish this administration’s policy on immigration that separates parents from children and that denies people coming to this country to seek asylum for domestic abuse or gang violence,” Cardin said.
Pressed to provide a “yes” or “no” answer, Cardin weakly responded, “We have to have an agency at the border; I want that policy to reflect not what President Trump has done.”
Echoing her argument in an opinion piece was CNN contributor Dean Obeidallah entitled, “Abolish ICE” isn’t about open borders” and suggested “all the problems with ICE emanate from one person: Trump. They are carrying out Trump’s policies.”
Bashing Trump’s policies may not be the wisest strategic shift.
A recent Harvard/Harris poll found that while Americans do not support the separation of families at the border, 71 percent support the President Trump’s executive action to ensure family unification; 70 percent back stricter enforcement and a majority (55 percent) support prosecuting illegal border crossers and oppose “catch-and-release.”
Abolishing ICE might be popular among the radical Left, but it is a platform unlikely to win votes among the majority of hard-working Americans.
12 Comments
I have been asking this question for some time and I’m still waiting for an answer. Where are the arrest warrants for the hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens that didn’t show up for court hearings???? If an American commits a crime (minor or major) and doesn’t show up for court hearings, an arrest warrant is issued and they are hunted down, arrested and brought in…adding more charges. Why are illegal aliens (and refugees) receiving more privileges, benefits and cash than American citizens??? The “welcome mat” of compassion and generosity to illegal foreigners was removed several years ago….so why are they still coming and staying where they were not invited or wanted….and demanding benefits and rights that are not theirs??? Apparently they are listening to the open border activists and not the American taxpayers that are tired of paying for the life-long and never-ending support and maintenance of illegal foreigners!! “Anchor” children are costing taxpayers billions of dollars in births, education, medical expenses and benefits which is also supporting their extended illegal families. If anyone wonders why this country is in debt of over $20 trillion dollars (and growing)….this would be a good place to point fingers!!!
BTW…..If ICE is looking for illegal alien workers, they might try the busy oil fields in TX and elsewhere!! Those magnet areas are in BIG demand for drilling and field workers and (dangerous?) truck drivers….and while some companies are using E-Verify…..some companies are “no questions asked.” The oil companies (and some in Washington) would most likely object….loudly!!….if the oil fields were shut down and the oil supply interrupted!!
If we didn’t have the current administration and ICE, our country could be in worse shape than it is….if that’s possible!! Americans should be openly supporting ICE…..and telling those who want to abolish it to sit down and shut up!!! Having no laws and enforcement is anarchy….causing chaos and mayhem throughout the land….and apparently that is exactly what the far left-leaning liberals want!! Why???? Who knows the why or what lurks in the minds of some people!!! I don’t believe they even know!!
Tammy Duckworth is not from Hawaii. She is junior senator from Illinois and she alsoo said the Abolish ICE would not go over in the Midwest.
The American standard of living is the envy of the world. Our Ethos and our Constitutional Republican form of government have given us great wealth. I have traveled the world and there is no better standard of living anywhere! With over 330 M in its country we simply don’t have the abundant endless resources to maintain the quality of life without serious consequences to the environment. As a Miami Native, importing 1/6 of Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, and now Venezuela, the South end of Florida is way past the carrying capacity. Roads and infrastructure are overwhelmed. Same for Southern California. Many urban centers in the NE have crumbling infrastructure because every dime goes to provide a standard of living to all the evacuees, malcontents, refugees and border crashers that sign up and strain every public service and institution. They never worked to build any of them. Most drag along the informed and unskilled family. All end up draining our social security accounts. We need to close all immigration, assimilate what has come, deport the undesirables and cut off all welfare to those who are not Citizens! Birthright citizenship has to end and there needs to be a fast removal process that meets Constitutional standard. Close all immigration until every newcomer speaks english and becomes a citizen. Then consider only merit based applicants who are young and have self sustaining needed skills. We don’t need any more parasites or radicals. Come to the USA to become Americans not change our Country into where you left! USA is for my children and grand children. I have generations of family buried in Arlington and we have earned the right to be Americans. I look at all the DACA illegals protesting and I think REALLY! Round em up and deport em all. They have no rights they are criminals. I am no longer responsive to all the sob stories.
Thanks, John, for your intelligent and sensible post. I agree 100%. It is distressing that so many people see ICE as evil when they have no idea what ICE really does. I hope these people will wake up, but it is their leaders’ jobs to change their unknowledgeable opinions and e.
ducate them on why ICE is necessary. Without ICE, crime would soar, but they don’t seem to understand that
You are right on. If they truly wanted to immigrate to the USA they would come to the front door & do it legally. They have broken the law of the USA & do not deserve consideration ever
They have no legal rights round them up put them in FEMA camps and then Deport them back to their Homeland and say the American people tax money……
From now on I’m going to refer to the ICE abolitionists as “ICE holes.”
Abolish ICE?
Does that mean we abolish Intelligence, Communication and Encouragement in America?
They have found that many women who claimed asylum for domestic abuse, eventually sponsor their abuser. Just another immigrant scam.
How do you give asylum for domestic abuse and gang violence when the same things are happening in the U.S?
You they don’t need to bring them here the tax payers can’t keep everybody up.we need to take care of the USA people first .the one come here illegal are breaking the law .and the law need to be obey so why can’t the people see that they are breaking the law .
There’s no question or doubt the Democratic Party has long passed its’ usefulness in the American political arena. We could blame Obama because of his devotion to Karl Marx and also to Saul Alinsky for his book “Rules for Radicals”. The radicalized Party – by whatever name – is no longer the Party of the working man; but a servant to those like George Soros who funds many of the organizations here; nearly 200 as a matter of fact, including Planned Parenthood, the American Federation of Teachers and many pro-amnesty, pro-open borders organizations.
So. The radicalized Party of Socialists – or perhaps “Nazi wannabes” – is now following Saul Alinsky in an attempt to regain POWER; power they need to stay relevant; power they lost to POTUS Trump in 2016. Consequently, Alinsky’s Rule #8 fits their agenda to a tee: “Keep the Pressure on . . . . . with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose”. I submit “abolish ICE” is a different tactic and that the temporary separation of Illegal Alien (“INVADERS”) adults and children at the border – who should have been turned around and immediately deported – was simply another event of the period for the purpose of helping to unseat a duly elected POTUS. Abolishing ICE would accomplish nothing; EXCEPT open our borders for all the World to cross.
When they say “abolish ICE”, they subsequently deny with great passion that they are not calling for open borders. So the question to those who propose abolishing ICE has to be, what ARE you for. If their solution is catch and release, then that IS in fact open borders.
The system is so overwhelmed now that releasing them with a court date years down the road means that the vast majority will never show up for that court date. If they are somehow caught after not showing up, there is no punishment. So once again, the policy becomes something that not only does NOT deter illegal entry, but gives an incentive to keep doing it, and that message is quickly passed to those back home. The standard definition of insanity has been repeating the same action and expecting a different result. Trump has decided to take the rewards out of illegal crossing and the left objects.
Nor is any of this anything new. A decade ago, Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois called ICE the “Gestapo”. He and his ilk don’t want border security or internal enforcement. The left, and a large part of the Democrats, are like a dog chasing it’s tail. There is never a point where they are satisfied, so they keep pulling farther and farther to the left. And those who fail to go along are denounced as being insufficiently “woke”. It’s like Stalinist purity and you have to live up to it. It’s why a lot of us who agreed with the Democrats on many issues in the past now hold our nose and vote GOP.