Dems offer bill to abolish ICE

WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress introduced legislation Thursday to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

The bill from Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democratic leader of the progressive caucus, would give Congress a year to develop a more “humane immigration enforcement system” and terminate ICE.

Key House Democrats put forward the legislation after public outcry over ICE immigration raids and the Trump administration practice of taking immigrant children away from their families after they cross the border. About 3,000 children have been victims of that policy.

“Whether people are saying reform it, or they’re saying abolish it, what we’re all saying right now is that ICE is being misused by the President in a way that makes it unable to function as it needs to,” Pocan said during a meeting with reporters Monday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan called it “the craziest position” he’s ever seen. He told reporters that Democrats are now so far left of the American mainstream, they “have really jumped the sharks.”

He saif the bill is why he feels “very good” about the GOP’s chances in the fall election.