House Democrats Reportedly Working on a Bill to Dismantle ICE

It seems that the recent wave of protests surrounding the transgressions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has paid off, as some House Democrats are allegedly working on a bill to shut the agency down.

The group is planning to propose a replacement for ICE, and their bill has reportedly garnered bipartisan support.

The bill is still being revised, and it will likely pose the question of whether or not the agency has violated human right laws. While some Democrats are against the idea of completely abolishing the agency, most support the bill and have sided with protesters of the “zero-tolerance” policy adopted by the agency.

Democratic Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who is one of the bill’s most outspoken advocates, stated:

“The ICE brand has been so damaged by the president that it can no longer accomplish its original mission. Even ICE agents recognize that ICE doesn’t do what it was intended to.”

House Democrats are not completely alone in their propositions, as officials from ICE themselves have argued that they are unable to fulfill their responsibilities. ICE officials have cited that many departments inside the agency are being affected by other departments’ actions. Senators and representatives from Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Illinois have also released a joint statement supporting the end of the ICE.

The creator of the “Abolish ICE” slogan spoke with The Washington Post,  stating:

“Now that we have a clear consensus that ICE must be abolished, it’s time for a discussion about a humane enforcement system. That means ending the criminalization of migration, creating a fast path to citizenship … and ending our inhumane immigrant detention system.”

Many protesters who rallied outside of ICE headquarters attempted to block the agency’s entrance in Washington D.C., and confronted the workers who attempted to enter the building.

The agency has particularly been blamed for the enforcement of the Trump Administration’s constantly changing immigration policies. Both the public and the agency itself have accused Trump of prioritizing the use of enforcement departments, especially Enforcement and Removal Operations, which focuses on arresting and deporting illegal immigrants.

These suspicions were constantly supported by tweets from Trump, which defended the agency and showed his reluctance to admit his misuse of power. One tweet responded directly to the proposition of dismantling the ICE, stating:

These radical Democrat protesters really want anarchy, but the only response they will find from our government is very strong law and order. Extremist Democrat politicians have called for complete elimination of ICE. You know what would happen to parts of our country? It would be overrun.”

It is still uncertain how Trump will respond to the latest bill.

Featured Image via Flickr/Leader Nancy Pelosi