Pence rips Democrats, defends ICE

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence on Friday accused Democrats of making opposition to the federal immigration agency central to their party, calling for an end to "spurious attacks" on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In an address at ICE headquarters, Pence noted that some prominent Democrats have called for the abolition of the agency charged with detaining and deporting migrants entering the country illegally. He said President Donald Trump fully supports immigration enforcement agents and warned that the abolition of ICE would lead to more illegal immigration, human trafficking, violent crime and the proliferation of drugs and "vicious gangs."

"It isn't just the expression of the radical left that has been speaking out against ICE. The truth is that opposition of ICE has moved to the center of the Democratic Party itself," Pence said in a speech to ICE employees. "Just when you thought the Democrats couldn't move farther to the left, leading members of the Democratic Party, including candidates for higher office, are actually openly advocating the abolition of ICE."

"The American people have the right to their opinions, but these spurious attacks on ICE by our political leaders must stop," Pence Pence said.

The dispute over the federal agency has emerged as a political fault line after the Trump administration began separating migrant children from their parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, leading to nationwide protests. Trump has made border security a focus of his message as he aims to prevent a Democratic takeover of Congress in the November midterm elections.

After his speech, Pence did not respond to a shouted question from a reporter asking if separating children "was a Christian thing to do."

ICE has come under fire from Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. All were named by Pence as seeking the abolition of the agency. While some Democrats in the House and Senate have raised the prospect of eliminating ICE, no top Democrats in either chamber have called for such a move.

Pence also referred to a "leading candidate" for New York governor who had "appallingly called this agency a 'terrorist organization.'"

Cynthia Nixon, an actress and liberal activist challenging Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the state's Democratic primary, tweeted that she could "think of no better description than to call ICE a terrorist organization, and I will wear any criticism from @mike_pence as a badge of honor."