The Democrats' Reluctance to Confront ICE: A Betrayal of the Public's Trust
When two US citizens were shot dead in Minneapolis over the course of just over two weeks, one might expect a forceful response from the country's nominal opposition party - the Democrats. Alas, their refusal to react proportionally to the threat posed by President Donald Trump and his "army of secret police" with "absolute immunity" is only making things worse.
Just last week, seven House Democrats, including mainstream media darling Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, voted with their GOP counterparts to pass a bill giving even more money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The vote came after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to whip his caucus into opposing the legislation, instead simply "recommending" a no vote.
Senate Democrats reportedly plan to kill the bill, knowing it would force a government shutdown. However, their commitment to holding the line must be treated with suspicion. One notable exception is Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who introduced legislation to restrict ICE's use of force, characterizing it as "the bare minimum." Even that bill is unlikely to pass through the GOP-controlled House.
Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz was unable to meet the moment when Renee Good was killed in January. Rather than forcefully show up for his constituents, Walz prioritized preemptively scolding protesters, posting: "Trump wants a show. Don't give it to him." While Walz has been clear that he is angry over ICE's presence in the state and has asked that they leave, he's failed to provide any clear directives or policy proposals for expelling the agency from his state.
It seems that beyond public statements, Minnesotans are not getting much material support from their leaders. What Walz did do on January 20 was to invite the president to "join me, and others in our community, to help restore calm and order and reaffirm that true public safety comes from shared purpose, trust, and respect." However, mere hours after Alex Pretti's killing, the administration made clear there was no "shared purpose, trust, and respect" with Minnesota.
The Democratic base has been demanding action on ICE for months. Eager to make political hay, Rep. Seth Moulton called ICE "cowards" and threatened to defund the agency and prosecute its officers. After publication, Moulton went further in a statement shared with The Intercept: "ICE is beyond repair, so it must be abolished." However, most elected Democrats fall short of calling for the institution's outright abolition - a position now held by a plurality of voters.
Leaders like Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have vaguely called for "transparency and accountability" after "what happened today in Minneapolis," without specifying what concrete steps might be taken to deliver either. Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle issued a statement in the wake of Pretti's death that was heavy on concern but light on substance.
In reality, the party is trapped in a world of its own creation, where committing to anything that might alienate mythical moderate conservative voters or donors is anathema. One specific idea gaining traction is impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a plan all but guaranteed to fail. So are demands from border hawks like Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy that ICE agents stop wearing masks, end quotas, or give in to other "reforms." ICE and DHS have shown no willingness to bend to any constraints, and when the White House tells them they're shielded by "absolute immunity" for their actions, any efforts to reform a malignant agency are dead on arrival.
Ultimately, the Democrats' reluctance to confront ICE is a betrayal of the public's trust. They need to wake up to the role we sorely need them to play and take action, before it's too late.
When two US citizens were shot dead in Minneapolis over the course of just over two weeks, one might expect a forceful response from the country's nominal opposition party - the Democrats. Alas, their refusal to react proportionally to the threat posed by President Donald Trump and his "army of secret police" with "absolute immunity" is only making things worse.
Just last week, seven House Democrats, including mainstream media darling Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, voted with their GOP counterparts to pass a bill giving even more money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The vote came after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to whip his caucus into opposing the legislation, instead simply "recommending" a no vote.
Senate Democrats reportedly plan to kill the bill, knowing it would force a government shutdown. However, their commitment to holding the line must be treated with suspicion. One notable exception is Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who introduced legislation to restrict ICE's use of force, characterizing it as "the bare minimum." Even that bill is unlikely to pass through the GOP-controlled House.
Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz was unable to meet the moment when Renee Good was killed in January. Rather than forcefully show up for his constituents, Walz prioritized preemptively scolding protesters, posting: "Trump wants a show. Don't give it to him." While Walz has been clear that he is angry over ICE's presence in the state and has asked that they leave, he's failed to provide any clear directives or policy proposals for expelling the agency from his state.
It seems that beyond public statements, Minnesotans are not getting much material support from their leaders. What Walz did do on January 20 was to invite the president to "join me, and others in our community, to help restore calm and order and reaffirm that true public safety comes from shared purpose, trust, and respect." However, mere hours after Alex Pretti's killing, the administration made clear there was no "shared purpose, trust, and respect" with Minnesota.
The Democratic base has been demanding action on ICE for months. Eager to make political hay, Rep. Seth Moulton called ICE "cowards" and threatened to defund the agency and prosecute its officers. After publication, Moulton went further in a statement shared with The Intercept: "ICE is beyond repair, so it must be abolished." However, most elected Democrats fall short of calling for the institution's outright abolition - a position now held by a plurality of voters.
Leaders like Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have vaguely called for "transparency and accountability" after "what happened today in Minneapolis," without specifying what concrete steps might be taken to deliver either. Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle issued a statement in the wake of Pretti's death that was heavy on concern but light on substance.
In reality, the party is trapped in a world of its own creation, where committing to anything that might alienate mythical moderate conservative voters or donors is anathema. One specific idea gaining traction is impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a plan all but guaranteed to fail. So are demands from border hawks like Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy that ICE agents stop wearing masks, end quotas, or give in to other "reforms." ICE and DHS have shown no willingness to bend to any constraints, and when the White House tells them they're shielded by "absolute immunity" for their actions, any efforts to reform a malignant agency are dead on arrival.
Ultimately, the Democrats' reluctance to confront ICE is a betrayal of the public's trust. They need to wake up to the role we sorely need them to play and take action, before it's too late.
I'm getting so frustrated with my own party right now 
. It feels like they're more worried about not losing votes than actually standing up for what's right 
. They passed that bill giving even more money to ICE and now they're just trying to backtrack 
. Meanwhile, people are still dying because of this administration's 'army of secret police' 
. We need some real leadership here, not just empty words 
. I'm tired of politicians playing it safe and waiting for someone else to make a move 
. It's time for them to take action and stop letting ICE run wild 
. Come on, Democrats! We're counting on you 
!
The Democrats' inaction on ICE is super concerning - it feels like they're more worried about not alienating Trump supporters than actually doing something about the issue 
. I mean, come on, 7 House Dems voted to give even MORE money to ICE? That's just crazy talk 
. And what's with all these politicians talking tough but not backing it up with concrete policies or actions? 
!
This whole thing is a mess, and I'm not buying the excuse that they're afraid of alienating moderate voters. The public needs real change, not just empty rhetoric! 
The whole party seems stuck in a perpetual state of indecision 
. Until they stop worrying about alienating moderates, I'm not seeing much hope for real change 
if Reps like moulton can call for ICE's abolition, why not the rest? it's time for dem leaders to stop playing it safe and actually stand up for their constituents
The Dem's move to protect ICE is really puzzling 
They should be working with the public to find a solution, not just playing politics 
. What's worse is that some of them are too scared to even say ICE by name 
. It's like they're trying to keep up appearances while still serving the interests of people who don't want to see reform 
... meanwhile, real issues are being ignored 
Why can't more of them follow her lead? We need leaders like her, not just talking heads 
. Democrats should focus on passing laws that protect people, not just making threats or using buzzwords 
. The public deserves better than empty words