# Democratic Party Official Position is to Abolish ICE **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 15, 2026, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355 "2026-08-15T19:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/21 "2026-08-15T22:52:49Z")
I think that should not only be a core component of handling ICE but every other facet of this administration. Dems can’t possibly hope to turn the page until rampant abuse, corruption, and lawlessness is answered swiftly and justly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/22 "2026-08-15T23:18:39Z")
Do we actually need an agency to carry out the legitimate functions of ICE? After all, we don’t have anyone carrying out those legitimate functions right now. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/23 "2026-08-15T23:31:52Z")
> [@JDYanYan](#): > > I think there is a strong consensus in the party that the people who have been running ICE and CBP need to be torn out of gov’t. Sure, when a new Dem president comes in, all the appointed ICE positions will be fired. No problem with that. I am 100% behind that. Criminal investigations also. The first step, in early 2027, after the Dems take Congress is to cut back it’s budget to Biden levels. Easy, peasy. New agents that ICE can no longer afford can go to Federal Corrections- same pay, and Corrections has a huge turnover- not a nice job.(Ahhh, too bad) Or perhaps some to Federal Protections- mostly security work- but still lateral. No doing a trump and trying to subvert the Civil Service. BUT- any bad agents are no longer out there in the field. _Maybe_, some can come back later, even. ICE budget under Biden IIRC was about $10B, now it is something like ten times that? And then, rename and reorganize- why not? > [@bump](#): > > Just as important, they need to make sure that it’s made very clear that they’re not actually proposing to do away with immigration or customs enforcement, just abolishment of the present-day organization that does it, named ICE. > > Otherwise, we’ll end up with more of the “Defund the Police” nonsense where they (meaning everyone who repeated that dumb-ass slogan) just handed rhetorical ammunition to the Right. Right, that is important. ---
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/24 "2026-08-15T23:47:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Do we actually need an agency to carry out the legitimate functions of ICE? After all, we don’t have anyone carrying out those legitimate functions right now. This is true for almost the entirety of the federal gov’t. Hopefully in the near future we’ll go back to having people actually want to come to this country. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/25 "2026-08-16T00:08:17Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > New agents that ICE can no longer afford can go to Federal Corrections- same pay, and Corrections has a huge turnover- not a nice job. Or, and here’s a thought, they go to no governmental job at all. Because the kind of people who are currently working for ICE will be toxic to any job they hold. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/26 "2026-08-16T00:18:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > New agents that ICE can no longer afford can go to Federal Corrections- same pay, and Corrections has a huge turnover- not a nice job.(Ahhh, too bad) I also think a large number of ICE personnel belong in prisons. But I’m thinking in a different capacity. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/27 "2026-08-16T00:22:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Or, and here’s a thought, they go to no governmental job at all. trump tried to subvert the Civil Service system. I am against doing the same sort of stuff he does. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/28 "2026-08-16T00:27:04Z")
Present day ICE agents are largely cop and military rejects with violent tendencies and power fantasies. They wanted thugs and they got thugs. Why the fuck would you want to keep people like that in jobs with power over others? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/29 "2026-08-16T00:34:29Z")
Trump tried to subvert the Civil Service system by putting evil masochists in the Civil Service. I am against doing that sort of thing. And so I do not want to put evil masochists in the Civil Service. In any part of it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/30 "2026-08-16T00:41:32Z")
Even before Trump’s first administration, ICE agents had a bad reputation among federal law enforcement. Given their myraid of abuses under the Trump administration, his attempt to make them a personal police force, and the piss poor quality of their agents I don’t think dissolution is unwarranted. We didn’t “need” ICE until 2003. It’s not like they’re a venerable institution. ---
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/31 "2026-08-16T01:42:03Z")
Dems don’t have to purge ICE/CPB of non-loyalists. They just have to get rid of people who are grossly unqualified for their job, and eliminate positions when it’s clear the role no longer delivers value for the American taxpayer (And fire/prosecute people when appropriate) This wouldn’t just solve the issue with DHS it should be applied to the whole of government. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/32 "2026-08-16T03:32:43Z")
Personally I think once an organization fills up with Nazis and other pieces of shit, it is best to burn it to the ground (metaphorically of course) and start over again. If the US needs a police force dedicated to immigration then so be it but make it a professional police force from the ground up, not a place where racists who cosplay as cops can fulfill their darkest fantasies about executing someone in public. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/33 "2026-08-16T05:05:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Present day ICE agents are largely cop and military rejects with violent tendencies and power fantasies. This is not true. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/34 "2026-08-16T05:09:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Or, and here’s a thought, they go to no governmental job at all. There are plenty of jobs that now need filling, like landscapers, day laborers, dishwashers, chicken slaughterhouse workers, home healthcare - you know, all those jobs whose workers got deported. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/35 "2026-08-16T05:34:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > This is not true. On what evidence do you base this opinion? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/36 "2026-08-16T06:08:54Z")
Reforming ICE is a good idea,but this a _terrible_ way to do it. It gives the Republicans an easy target for attacking the Dems. Why are the Democrats giving free ammunition to the Repubs? “Defund the police” was a terrible slogan, and this is worse. Now we’ll have all the right-wing media screaming “Democrats are destroying ICE!!!, They’re opening the borders to unlimited waves of immigrants!!! We are being invaded!!! Lock your doors and grab your guns!!!” It would be much more effective if the DNC had simply announced that they will restore ICE to its former job, before its rapid expansion . All new agents hired since 2024 will be fired, while the agency reorganizes. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/37 "2026-08-16T06:55:01Z")
Available evidence says otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/38 "2026-08-16T06:59:56Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Now we’ll have all the right-wing media screaming “Democrats are destroying ICE!!!, They’re opening the borders to unlimited waves of immigrants!!! We are being invaded!!! Lock your doors and grab your guns!!!” The people who listen to those kind of talking points were never going to vote for Democrats to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/39 "2026-08-16T09:52:45Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > > [@chappachula](#): > > > > Now we’ll have all the right-wing media screaming “Democrats are destroying ICE!!!, They’re opening the borders to unlimited waves of immigrants!!! We are being invaded!!! Lock your doors and grab your guns!!!” > > The people who listen to those kind of talking points were never going to vote for Democrats to begin with.   Neither stalwart Democrats nor right-wing nutjobs are going to be influenced by this messsaging. The target audience, as always, is the swing-voter demographic, and the problem with this as a policy is that it’s guaranteed that Republicans will spin this as support for illegal immigration and “open borders”. IMHO Democrats should be pointing out that ICE is corrupt and mismanaged, just like everything else in this evil regime, and needs major reform from the ground up to stop its illegal abuses. Logically, the functions of ICE could well be folded into CBP, but that’s an administrative detail. But saying “abolish it” sends the message that its functions are not needed, which is going to cost the Dems a lot of swing votes. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/40 "2026-08-16T10:10:03Z")
Abolish ICE is a winning political issue now. It’s not an extreme - it’s mainstream, according to polling. > **[A majority of Americans have little or no confidence in ICE](https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/55212-majority-americans-little-or-no-confidence-ice-immigration-customs-enforcement-july-17-20-2026-economist-yougov-poll)** > > After ICE agents shot and killed two people in Texas and Maine last week, this week's Economist / YouGov Poll finds that 60% of Americans have heard about the recent killings [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355.md?page=3)