Abolishing ICE becomes Dem litmus test

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is fast becoming a litmus test for Democrats after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s shock victory in a Democratic primary.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Thursday became the first senator to call for the scrapping of ICE, arguing that it has become “a deportation force.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) followed suit on Friday, saying, “We should abolish ICE.”

And on Saturday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for "replacing ICE" while tearing into the administration's "ugly" immigration practices.

"The president's deeply immoral actions have made it obvious we need to rebuild our immigration system from top to bottom, starting by replacing ICE with something that reflects our morality and that works," she said at a rally in Boston.

Their calls for action are likely to pressure other Democrats to take similarly strong stances, and could scramble the 2020 race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

California Sen. Kamala Harris (D), who like Gillibrand is seen as a potential 2020 candidate, earlier in the week called on her party to “critically re-examine ICE” and even to “think about starting from scratch.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), another likely candidate, came under fire from liberal activists after refusing to go that far. He said lawmakers should sit down with President Trump and “work on a national program which deals with this serious issue.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/394920-abolishing-ice-becomes-dem-litmus-test

[BannonsLiver]

1. Harris and Warren had the best answers

Bernie is dreaming.

[mr_lebowski]

2. I don't think it's a winner and I'll tell you why .. way too many people don't know the diff between

ICE ... and the Border Patrol.

WAAAAAY too many.

If you have to turn around and explain your catchy little slogan (esp. a negative one involving 'abolishing') to like 80% of the US? While giving your opponent obvious ammunition with a point that nearly everyone agrees with (i.e. we should not have an 'open border') ... you ain't doing it right.

[BannonsLiver]

3. I agree

Old politics axiom: If you’re explaining you’re losing.

[uponit7771]

4. +1

[grantcart]

5. +1

Not only that, under President Obama ICE was very effective in targeting thousands of criminal aliens and removing them. They follow the direction that is given in the WH.

[Hortensis]

6. The Hill's up to its conservative propagandizing, I see.

Please recognize and refuse to be influenced by right-wing agents.

Their "litmus test" nonsense is part of casting us as a party in turmoil -- a fake equalization with the Republican Party that genuinely is.