Democrats Disagree Over ICE

Democrats are opening a new front in the national immigration debate after party officials approved competing proposals that could have major political consequences heading into the midterm elections.

At its summer meeting Saturday, the Democratic National Committee approved resolutions supporting two dramatically different approaches to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.

One calls for major reforms to the federal immigration agency.

The other calls for abolishing ICE altogether.

The votes reveal an important divide inside the Democratic Party as President Donald Trump continues pushing his administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda.

While Democrats broadly oppose Trump’s approach, party officials appear far less united over what should replace it.

Democrats Approve Proposal To Abolish ICE

The DNC approved a resolution supporting the elimination of ICE, reviving a controversial proposal that became a rallying cry among progressive activists during Trump’s first term.

At the same meeting, Democrats also approved a separate resolution calling for “concrete reforms” to the agency rather than eliminating it.

That means the party effectively endorsed two competing approaches to one of the most important issues facing voters.

The resolutions are nonbinding. They do not establish the Democratic Party’s official national platform, and Democratic candidates are free to take their own positions.

Still, the votes offer voters an important look at the debate taking place inside the party ahead of the midterms.

Immigration and border security remain major political issues, particularly among voters concerned about illegal immigration, crime, federal law enforcement and the security of America’s borders.

Progressive Democrats Push For Bigger Changes

Michele Johnson, a Democratic National Committee member from Louisiana, introduced the measure calling for ICE to be abolished.

Johnson argued that Democrats need to take clear positions rather than relying on carefully tested political language designed to satisfy different groups of voters.

She also pointed to the history of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS, which was dissolved as part of the federal government’s post-9/11 reorganization.

ICE was created in 2003 under the newly established Department of Homeland Security.

Progressive calls to abolish the agency gained national attention in 2018 during Trump’s first administration.

Now that debate has returned as Democrats respond to Trump’s immigration crackdown during his second term.

Other Democrats Fear Political Backlash

Not everyone inside the Democratic Party believes abolishing ICE is a winning strategy.

DNC member Yvonne Reeves-Chong opposed the measure and warned that the proposal could appeal to one section of the Democratic base while creating political problems with other voters.

Her concern goes directly to the challenge Democrats could face in competitive House and Senate races.

Progressive activists may favor eliminating ICE, but Democratic candidates running in swing states or closely divided congressional districts must also appeal to independents and moderate voters.

Many of those Americans may support immigration reform while still believing the federal government needs an agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.

That leaves Democrats with a difficult political calculation: How far can the party move to the left on immigration without losing voters in the political center?

Ken Martin Says Democrats Agree Trump Must Be Stopped

DNC Chairman Ken Martin attempted to emphasize the area where Democrats remain united.

According to Martin, Democrats may disagree about whether ICE should be abolished or reformed, but they broadly oppose the Trump administration’s current immigration enforcement policies.

Martin said Democrats believe the actions of ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the federal government need to change.

That distinction is important.

There is a substantial difference between reforming an existing federal law enforcement agency and eliminating it entirely.

Democratic candidates will now have to decide which position they are prepared to defend before voters.

Trump Still Has An Advantage With Republicans On Immigration

The political stakes become clearer when looking at recent polling.

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released this month found that 39% of American adults approved of Trump’s handling of immigration.

That was down from 49% near the beginning of Trump’s second term.

But there is another number Democrats cannot ignore.

Roughly 8 in 10 Republicans continued to approve of Trump’s performance on immigration, making the issue significantly stronger for the president among Republican voters than his handling of either the economy or Iran.

That suggests immigration could remain an effective issue for Republicans heading into the midterms, even as Trump’s overall numbers on the subject have declined.

Republicans Could Turn The ICE Vote Into A Midterm Issue

Republican candidates now have an obvious political argument to make.

For years, the GOP has portrayed itself as the party of stronger borders, tougher immigration enforcement and greater support for federal law enforcement.

A DNC resolution calling for ICE to be abolished gives Republicans an opportunity to ask Democratic candidates a simple question:

Do you support reforming ICE, or do you support eliminating it?

That could be especially significant in competitive congressional districts where voters may be dissatisfied with some aspects of Trump’s immigration policies but remain opposed to eliminating immigration enforcement.

Democratic candidates will not be required to support either DNC resolution.

However, Republicans can still point to Saturday’s vote as evidence that abolishing ICE has significant support within the Democratic Party.

Immigration Could Help Decide Control Of Congress

The larger question is what American voters want from Washington.

Immigration has remained one of the country’s most divisive political issues for years.

Trump campaigned heavily on securing the border, increasing deportations and enforcing existing immigration laws. Democrats have criticized many of his administration’s enforcement tactics while calling for changes to America’s immigration system.

The latest DNC votes demonstrate that Democrats themselves remain divided over how extensive those changes should be.

Some want ICE reformed.

Others want it abolished.

Republicans are almost certain to make that disagreement part of their midterm message.

For older voters who have watched Washington debate illegal immigration and border security for decades, the argument may sound familiar. What has changed is how far some Democrats are now willing to go in restructuring federal immigration enforcement.

With control of Congress at stake, Democrats will have to determine whether abolishing ICE is a position that can win support beyond the party’s progressive base.

And Republicans will be eager to make sure voters know the proposal is now officially part of the debate inside the Democratic National Committee.

What do you think? Should ICE remain in place, should the agency be reformed, or should it be abolished entirely?