Push to abolish ICE reaches Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON – The calls on the left to abolish the government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reached Capitol Hill on Thursday, as three Democratic representatives filed legislation to close the agency that has become the face of immigration raids in the Trump administration.

“ICE is not working in its current form because the president has abused it to go after people with parking tickets, traffic violations, etc., rather than focusing on domestic terrorism and human trafficking and the big crimes,” said Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, one of the bill’s sponsors.

There’s very little chance that the bill will get a sympathetic hearing in the Republican-controlled House, especially with slightly more than 115 days to go before the midterm election.

Republicans, however, are practically ecstatic about the measure’s introduction. As they see it, Democrats have legitimized the idea of closing an agency tasked with combating human trafficking, international gangs and drug smuggling and have made the move close to an election that will determine which party controls the House.

“They have really jumped the sharks on the left,” House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-wis., told reporters. “It’s the craziest position I’ve ever seen, and they are tripping over themselves to move too far to the left. They are out of the mainstream of America, and that’s one of the reasons why I feel very good about this fall.”

Indeed, Majority Leader Kevin Mccarthy, R-calif., would like to bring the measure to a vote this fall, something that would require House Democrats to go on the record before the midterms. No vote has been scheduled, however.