Extremists’ ‘Abolish ICE’ is ignoring brutal realities
Proving Donald Trump isn’t the only extreme voice in our national cacophony, some on the far left of the Democratic Party are calling for the abolition of ICE — officially known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by a little-known Wisconsin congressman to do just that, but the push also includes some big names like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kristin Gillibrand of New York.
Yet this effort is so out of touch with reality that it actually helps Trump do damage control over the fallout for his wrong-headed policy of separating immigrant children from parents and putting them in detention centers.
Trump’s policy, from which he was forced to backtrack, met with widespread disapproval of the American public. But the extremists who want to do away with ICE should take note of a CNN poll in June in which 62 percent said that when it comes to immigration, border security should be our first priority.
And let’s be honest. If you can’t deport people here illegally, especially those with criminal records, there isn’t much point in trying to enforce a border.
ICE was created under the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 — in response to the 9/11 attacks — and among many other duties it assumed the deportation role previously held by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Yes, the United States has been deporting people in the country illegally for many years. In fact, President Obama’s administration deported a record 2.4 million immigrants between 2009 and 2016 — earning him the nickname “Deporter in Chief.”
The agency is charged with enforcing more than 400 federal statutes, and its official site says it “focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism and combating the illegal movement of people and trade.” That’s government speak for human trafficking.
Not surprisingly, some supporters of the abolish ICE movement have carried signs that say: “No Borders No Nations No Deportations.”
To be fair, ICE has had problems, but it doesn’t troll neighborhood streets demanding to see identification papers. Its main focus in the internal part of the country is on those who have run afoul of the law.
Democrats who want better treatment of immigrants want no part of this “Abolish ICE” movement. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus chaired by Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., is not on record as supporting it.
Those who do support it should take a look at the agency’s site. On Wednesday, it featured one of its “Most Wanted” — Ramon Raudel Campos Murillo, a native of Mexico charged with operating an interstate prostitution ring in multiple states in which many of the women were foreign nationals. One 15-year-old girl allegedly was forced to have sex with 17 customers her first day on the job.
ICE says customers typically paid $30 for 15 minutes with the trafficked girls and women, and Campos Murillo, aka “Chilango,” is a documented associate of the brutal international gang MS-13.
Meanwhile, a couple of potential new ICE customers — Perfecto Lopez-Olivas and Goretty Aguirre — surfaced in New Mexico earlier this month.
Both are Mexican nationals; Lopez-Olivas was arrested after Border Patrol agents seized more than 26 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the gas tank of his vehicle at the checkpoint on Highway 54 south of Alamogordo.
Aguirre and two other men were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute after Border patrol agents seized more than 15 pounds of heroin hidden in their vehicle.
These examples are not rare. With cartels pushing drugs and engaged in human trafficking of immigrants, they are commonplace.
If convicted, Aguirre and Lopez-Olivas will be sentenced to prison and then deported. Along with Campos Murillo, if he is apprehended.
And all by ICE — which wouldn’t exist if some on the far left get their way.