In recent news, some Democratic lawmakers are pushing to cut funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and even to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This comes after a federal agent was involved in a shooting in Minnesota.
However, this push to defund ICE is causing division among Democrats. Earlier in the week, leading Democrats like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries said that defunding ICE was not an option. They emphasized that their focus remains on the Affordable Care Act.
But the recent shooting in Minneapolis has energized some Democrats. Representative Delia Ramirez expressed outrage, stating that those on her side are very upset about what happened. She noted that the victim was a U.S. citizen.
Other Democrats, like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have also criticized ICE, claiming they are targeting people who are not necessarily non-citizens.
Representative Robin Kelly has announced plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Secretary Noem, accusing her of being an incompetent leader who has obstructed justice and violated public trust.
While the impeachment effort may face challenges, the push to reduce ICE funding could gain some traction. Senator Chris Murphy stated that Democrats cannot support a Department of Homeland Security budget that doesn’t address what he sees as the agency’s growing lawlessness. Representative Pramila Jayapal echoed this sentiment, calling ICE a “rogue force.”
