Democrats worry ‘abolish ICE’ slogan will hurt like ‘defund police’

Some Democrats worry that “abolish ICE” will become as infamous a liberal slogan as “defund the police.” The New York Times reported on Thursday.

According to the Times, “Some Democrats worry that calls to abolish the agency are an unwelcome distraction from more pragmatic approaches. They fear the slogan ‘Abolish ICE’ will become as outdated as the slogan ‘Stop Defunding the Police.'”

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., believes pushing the “Abolish ICE” narrative would “hurt the cause.”

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“It’s clear the icing is a real problem; they’re out of control, they’re moving too fast,” Gallego told the Times.

“The last thing we need to do is make the same mistake again when it comes to ‘Defund the Police’ rhetoric. That didn’t actually help communicate what people wanted. People really want a weakened ICE focused on security.”

Calls to cut police funding from far-left figures became more popular among Democrats in 2020 after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. However, this statement did not attract much attention from the public and remained on the agenda. It hurts ticketless Democrats. In that year’s elections, many leaders in the party tried to move away from the slogan, which to critics seemed like vigilantism out of control.

“But some Democrats warn that calls to eliminate ICE altogether are a trap that will only benefit Republicans,” the New York Times reported.

centre-left think tank Third Way He warns Democrats to avoid calls to abolish ICE.

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Center-left think tank Third Way warns Democrats to avoid calls to abolish ICE. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

“Impulse is emotional,” his notes read. “The slogan is simple. But politically deadly. Any call to abolish ICE risks squandering one of the clearest opportunities in years to deliver meaningful reforms to immigration enforcement while giving Republicans exactly the fight they want.”

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An ICE agent was shot and killed Renee Good, 37, was captured last week during a federal sting operation south of Minneapolis. Federal officials said agents attempted to make an arrest after the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon, prompting an ICE agent to open fire in self-defense.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Prominent Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor. Tim WalzHe criticized the federal explanation for the incident and rejected the officer’s claim that he acted in self-defense. Minnesota has since sued the Trump administration, claiming the increase in immigration enforcement in the state was “illegal” and “unprecedented.”

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Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.