Democrats wants ICE to chill the f-ck out
In response to abuses from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Democrats at both the federal and state level are taking new steps to hold operatives accountable.
The Trump administration has used ICE agents as on-the-ground foot soldiers to execute an anti-immigrant mass deportation agenda, overseen by White House deputy chief of staff and white supremacy cheerleader Stephen Miller.
On Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he would launch the independent Illinois Accountability Commission to document ICE abuses in the state. The findings will be used to hold agents and the officials who ordered their actions accountable.
“Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Tom Homan, and Greg Bovino have failed their oaths of office and allowed agents under their command to act unconscionably under the color of law,” Pritzker said. “They have given the impression that their actions are immune from investigation or accountability. They are not.”
Similarly, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday that he would once again file suit against the Trump administration if it decides to move forward with plans to send federal agents to San Francisco as part of anti-immigrant operations.
“Send troops to San Francisco and we will sue you, @realDonaldTrump,” Newsom wrote on his official social media account. In a video accompanying the post Newsom said he would file suit within a “nanosecond” of a deployment.
In the House, Democrats on the Oversight Committee said they would launch a misconduct tracking system focused on ICE actions.
“We’re establishing a misconduct tracker to systematically document abuse and civil rights violations by this administration—including cases where ICE has detained U.S. citizens and violated federal law,” Sara Guerrero, spokesperson for Oversight Democrats, said in a release.
Related | ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants—against federal policy
Attorney General Pam Bondi complained about the project on Tuesday, but she chose to lie about it. In a social media post she alleged that Democrats “are trying to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs.” But the tracker is meant to document the aftermath of ICE agents’ actions. It is not designed to identify agents’ locations, nor does it advocate violence against them.
Since Donald Trump took office, ICE has spearheaded a litany of abuses against the public, harassing and detaining children and pregnant women while breaking up families and questioning military veterans. Public criticism of ICE has reached a fever pitch and the agency has reportedly lowered entry requirements while receiving millions in funding, despite the ongoing government shutdown.
ICE is out of control, but its agents’ lawless actions are now being countered by Democrats attempting to protect the public.