Democrats who called for ICE to be abolished under Trump largely silent as border crisis rages

A fistful of high-profile Democrats successful nan Senate and House antecedently supported nan conception of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — nan agency tasked pinch enforcing migration rule successful communities and astatine nan border.

Despite their erstwhile calls for ICE to beryllium scrapped, location has been small guidance aliases pushback from Democrats astir ICE enforcement nether President Biden arsenic nan separator situation continues to wreak havoc connected U.S. citizens, cities and communities.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — 2 Democrats who sought their party's information for president successful 2020 — are salient leaders who antecedently led calls for ICE to beryllium abolished outright, aliases surgery up during erstwhile President Donald Trump's tenure successful nan White House.

VULNERABLE HOUSE DEMS DO A U-TURN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AFTER CALLING CRISIS 'NON-EXISTENT THREAT'

Several Democrats called for ICE to beryllium abolished during Trump's tenure successful nan White House. (Getty Images)

In 2018, during an quality connected CNN, Gillibrand said: "I don’t deliberation ICE coming is moving arsenic intended. . . . I judge that it has go a deportation force, and I deliberation you should abstracted nan criminal justness from nan migration issues."

"I deliberation you should reimagine ICE nether a caller agency pinch a very different ngo and return those 2 missions out," she added astatine nan time. "We judge that we should protect families who request our thief and that is not what ICE is doing today, and that’s why I judge you should get free of it, commencement over, reimagine it and build thing that really works."

Warren besides took rumor pinch nan agency successful 2018, penning successful a Facebook post successful June 2018: "[Trump's] profoundly obscene actions person made it evident that we request to rebuild our migration strategy from apical to bottom, starting by replacing ICE pinch thing that reflects our values."

Though he didn't straight telephone for ICE to beryllium abolished, a 2019 scheme released by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses pinch Democrats and sought nan party's information for president successful 2016 and 2020, included breaking up ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Deportation and enforcement would return to nan Department of Justice, customs matters to nan Treasury, and naturalization and citizenship to nan State Department nether Sanders’ proposal.

A 2019 scheme released by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., included breaking up ICE and CBP. ((AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File))

Several House Democrats besides called to "terminate" ICE nether Trump and expressed their support for nan agency to beryllium "abolished."

House Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., introduced legislation successful 2018 that would person led to ICE being "terminated" and called for nan constitution of a committee "tasked pinch establishing a humane migration enforcement system." It ne'er received a ballot successful nan House.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: FENCE-CUTTING MIGRANTS BUSTED BY FEDS

Pocan's measure was co-sponsored by 7 different Democrats who stay successful Congress, including Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Adriano Espaillat of New York, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Adam Smith of Washington, Nydia Velázquez of New York and Yvette Clarke of New York.

"From conducting raids astatine plot centers and meatpacking plants, to breaking up families astatine churches and schools, ICE is tearing isolated families and ripping astatine nan civilized cloth of our nation. . . . The agency tin nary longer execute its goals effectively," Pocan said astatine nan time.

"I'm introducing authorities that would abolish ICE and ace down connected nan agency's broad directive to target and information up individuals and families," he added.

Speaking astir nan effort successful July 2018, Jayapal said successful a statement: "There was enforcement of our migration laws earlier ICE was created, and location will beryllium aft ICE, arsenic an agency, is gone. As it stands, ICE is retired of control."

"We should destruct nan agency arsenic it stands and commencement from scratch to restructure its functions," Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said of ICE successful 2018. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The effort was besides favored heavy by Espaillat, who said past that nan lawmakers were "pushing to bring an extremity to ICE arsenic nan agency has strayed excessively acold from its original mission, intent and purpose."

"We are witnessing a quality authorities crisis, and our measure would bring guardant a caller exemplary and dismantle ICE erstwhile and for all," he added.

Joining her colleagues, Velázquez besides said past that "the clip has travel to abolish ICE."

Blumenauer besides called for an end to nan agency successful 2018, insisting nan Trump management had "made nan agency truthful toxic that it's clip to abolish ICE, and commencement over."

The Oregon lawmaker's agency noted successful a property merchandise astatine nan clip that he had been "one of nan first members of Congress to telephone for ICE to beryllium abolished" and voted against nan statement of ICE.

Like Blumenauer, McGovern besides voted against nan statement of ICE. In a 2018 comment, nan Massachusetts congressman said, "It's clip to abolish ICE."

"We request to commencement a caller conversation," he added astatine nan time.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS COVERAGE ON IMMIGRATION

Though she wasn't sworn successful arsenic a personnel of Congress until January 2019, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has besides made calls to abolish ICE and moreover suggested that she would for illustration to destruct nan Department of Homeland Security, which oversees nan agency.

The congresswoman's remarks came successful a July 2019 chat pinch The New Yorker Radio Hour’s David Remnick astir nan anticipation of reforming aliases abolishing ICE.

"Would you get free of Homeland Security, too?" Remnick asked.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has made calls to abolish ICE and suggested that she would move to destruct DHS, which oversees nan agency. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)

"I deliberation so, I deliberation so. I deliberation we request to undo a batch of nan egregious, a batch of nan egregious mistakes that nan Bush management did. I consciousness for illustration we are astatine a very, it’s a very qualified and supported position, astatine slightest successful position of evidence, and successful position of being capable to make nan argument, that we ne'er should’ve created DHS successful nan early 2000s," Ocasio-Cortez responded astatine nan time.

Ocasio-Cortez renewed her telephone for ICE to beryllium abolished successful January 2021, penning successful a post connected societal media, "Abolish ICE."

In 2022, nan New York lawmaker sold "Abolish ICE" t-shirts, posters, and magnets connected her charismatic squad shop that featured an crystal cooler pinch nan connection "abolish" spray-painted successful reddish supra nan connection "ice." Today, however, it appears nan only disposable point successful her online shop pinch nan words "abolish ICE" written connected it is simply a hat.

In an effort to understand wherever they guidelines connected nan rumor now, Fox News Digital reached retired to each Democrat mentioned successful this article who called for ICE to beryllium abolished, surgery up, aliases terminated. None of them responded.

ICE was established successful 2003 as a constituent agency of DHS, pursuing nan 9/11 panic attacks connected nan World Trade Center and nan Pentagon.

ICE was formed pinch nan transition of nan 2002 Homeland Security Act to sorb nan responsibilities of nan erstwhile Immigration and Naturalization Service, arsenic good arsenic nan U.S. Customs Service, which was formerly nether nan power of nan Treasury Department.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seal. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The agency is presently led by Acting Director Patrick J. Lechleitner, an American rule enforcement officer who has served successful nan domiciled since July 2023.

CBP records show that nan first six months of fiscal twelvemonth 2024 had 1,340,801 full encounters, exceeding nan first six months of fiscal twelvemonth 2023, which group a grounds of 1,226,254 full encounters.