Wisconsin Dem Introducing Bill to Abolish ICE, Says 'Heartless' Agency Doesn't 'Represent Our Values'

A Democratic congressman from Wisconsin on Monday announced that he is introducing a bill to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because President Trump and his “team of white nationalists” have so misused the agency it can no longer accomplish its goals effectively:

.@realDonaldTrump & his team of white nationalists, including Stephen Miller, have so misused @ICEgov that the agency can no longer accomplish its goals effectively. I’m introducing a bill to #AbolishICE & crack down on the agency’s blanket directive to target & round up people. pic.twitter.com/xhHsOHCdNH

— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) June 25, 2018

“During my trip to the southern border, it was clear that ICE, and its actions of hunting down and tearing apart families, has wreaked havoc on far too many people. From conducting raids at garden centers and meatpacking plants, to breaking up families at churches and schools, ICE is tearing apart families and ripping at the moral fabric of our nation,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) said in a statement. “The heartless actions of this abused agency do not represent the values of our nation and the U.S. must develop a more humane immigration system.”

NEW: Rep. Mark Pocan to introduce bill to abolish ICE following trip to U.S.-Mexico border.

“The heartless actions of this abused agency do not represent the values of our nation and the U.S. must develop a more humane immigration system." https://t.co/kb8pljFSEo pic.twitter.com/b6S90h6u2n

— ABC News (@ABC) June 25, 2018

Pocan’s statement also said that his bill would create a commission to provide recommendations to Congress on how the U.S. can develop a more humane immigration system “that treats every person with dignity and respect.”

Pocan is the co-chair of the Marxist Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). He is also one of dozens of Democratic congressmen who skipped President Trump’s inauguration.

Pocan joins three other Democrat reps who have called for the abolition of ICE, according to the Washington Free Beacon:

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), who wrote a post about abolishing the organization, said that he voted against the formation of ICE 16 years ago and has been “concerned with the actions of the agency for quite some time.”

Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) and Jim McGovern (Mass.) also have said they want to get rid of ICE.

When asked about abolishing ICE on Meet the Press Sunday, California Senator Kamala Harris also suggested Congress should scrap ICE: “There’s no question that we’ve got to critically reexamine ICE and its role, and the way that it is being administered, and the work it is doing,” she told NBC’s Kasie Hunt. “And we need to probably think about starting from scratch.”

“That idea is insane,” conservative commentator Dan Bongino said on Fox and Friends Monday morning. “There is a large strain in the Democrat party that has been open borders, and getting rid of ICE is part of that.”

He added: “The gift of Donald Trump, guys, has been the ability to to expose the Democrats for what they are — abolish ICE, open borders, take your guns, tax cuts are crumbs — this is who Democrats are, it’s who they’ve always been, and Donald Trump is exposing it.”

Democrats call to abolish ICE. @dbongino sounds off @foxandfriends: "The gift of Donald Trump has been the ability to expose the Democrats for what they are."

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/lpBaedyxGQ

— Ainsley Earhardt (@ainsleyearhardt) June 25, 2018