On July 12, U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) introduced the "Establishing a Humane Immigration Enforcement System Act". According to their press release, the act "includes terminating the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) within one year of enactment."
After many pages of nonsensical blathering about the horrors of ICE enforcing our immigration laws and arresting bad guys, the twelve-page bill essentially establishes a commission made up of 17 people who have the task of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement within one year.
The crazy part is that the majority of the commission aren't even members of the House or Senate but rather are "selected from the 17 major civil society and immigrants’ rights organizations and individuals directly impacted by ICE practices." In other words, the very groups who despise ICE would have the majority on the committee in charge of dismantling it.
Ummmm, OK.
Then, earlier this week, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) commented on the growing support for ending the agency in an op-ed, saying:
“[I]t seems these socialist groups are adding new and dangerous immigration proposals to their already terrible economic policies. In particular, they are calling to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE was established after 9/11 to protect our homeland…. If these self-described socialists had their way, we would have no immigration laws and our borders would be meaningless. The result would effectively erase our national boundaries and destroy the principles of law and order…. Perhaps even more alarming is that what was once a fringe idea has become mainstream in the modern Democratic Party.”
The Left is really losing it over their comparisons, as well. Just look at what this New York Democrat had to say about the agency back in January:
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“We are standing in front of a building that has become the headquarters for the Gestapo of the United States of America”: Brooklyn Democrat @RepYvetteClarke, outside @ICEgov’s Manhattan hq. pic.twitter.com/5iNoTZ0mVf
— Matthew Chayes (@chayesmatthew) January 27, 2018
Really?
ICE was formed over 15 years ago, which begs some questions: Where have these protestors been for the last 15 years? Did they march in the streets during the Obama Administration? Or how about during the Bush Administration? Or, could it be that this is nothing more than a thinly-veiled smear campaign against both the law enforcement agency and the Trump Administration?
Just what is it that ICE does that the Democrats find so offensive? Direct from ICE's website:
ICE’S mission is to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. This mission is executed through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes and focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism and combating the illegal movement of people and goods."
Yes, let's have less of that.
Despite what these loony Leftists believe, ICE actually rounds up bad guys. More from their website:
In FY2017, ICE ERO conducted 143,470 overall administrative arrests, which is the highest number of administrative arrests over the past three fiscal years. Of these arrests, 92 percent had a criminal conviction, a pending criminal charge, were an ICE fugitive or were processed with a reinstated final order."
Yes, let's have less of that, too.
Why were these fine people yearning to breathe free arrested? Here's a chart to enlighten you.
Table 2. FY2017 Total ERO Administrative Arrests Criminal Charges and Convictions3
Yes, but let's leave these people alone, right? They just want a better life. It's all about children being separated from their "parents", you know.
48,454 charged or convicted with assault? Meh. 5,615 robbers? Big deal. 1,886 murder suspects and convictions? Yawn. 5,118 sexual assaults and 1,572 commercialized sexual offenses? Nothingburger.
C'mon, we all know these folks are just doing the jobs that Americans won't do. After all, several Hollywood types are now in jail or laying low. Someone has to do their job. Kids don't traffic themselves, you know.
Or maybe, some of these people are just scum of the earth criminals who shouldn't get a free pass at becoming American citizens, and the Democrats who want them roaming our streets are nuts and have completely lost all touch with reality. You be the judge.
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