# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/424 "2026-09-07T15:49:55Z")
Correction noted! Point stands. (And frankly if I am making that substitution in my mind you can confident that many others will as well.) ---
**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:** [September 7, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/425 "2026-09-07T15:53:13Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > “ICE” is _literally_ the acronym for “Immigration and Control Enforcement” … is really is _exactly_ what the slogan says. That’s an etymology, not a definition. They’re two different things. “Manufactured” literally comes from words meaning “handmade”, but it doesn’t mean that any more. If someone says that the US should crack down on the DPRK, they don’t mean that the US should crack down on democracy or people or republics. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/426 "2026-09-07T16:04:41Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Trump could and would also veto any acts to “abolish” ICE, and it _is_ under executive control. ICE is over-funded through Sep 2029 from the OBBBA, but there will be other budget bills that need to be passed. The Dems were able to get some ICE concessions with a minority (albeit due to the killings of US citizens). Even reforming it after 2029 would be a campaign promise fulfilled. I’m not sure you can pin down many Pubs by forcing a vote on immigration reform considering pathways to citizenship are not popular with Pub voters (based on the Gallup poll you shared). But this is just a gut feel on my part and I would be delighted to be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/427 "2026-09-07T16:18:09Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > immigration reform considering pathways to citizenship are not popular with Pub voters (based on the Gallup poll you shared) Accepted not going to alter votes in red states and districts. Or among the GOP base. But in the key swing states and districts? Yes appeasing their base goes against the voters needed in a general election and Trump having vetoed it locks a GOP nominee into being against it in the presidential cycle. Presidential elections of course come down to just a handful of states. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin … all have polling support for pathway to citizenship. More than even national numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/428 "2026-09-07T16:56:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But you can’t talk about “preserving the functions of ICE”, because the function of ICE is terrorism. What you mean is “preserving the functions that ICE is supposed to have”, but by that point, you’ve already lost the audience Most of your target audience (American voters) does not agree with the statement that the function of ICE is terrorism. Even most people who agree that what ICE is doing right now is not OK and terroristic don’t agree that the _function of the agency_ is terror. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/429 "2026-09-07T19:49:58Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Trump could and would also veto any acts to “abolish” ICE, and it _is_ under executive control. If the Dems take the House, they can reduce the budget for ICE. > [@CaveMike](#): > > ICE is over-funded through Sep 2029 from the OBBBA, but there will be other budget bills that need to be passed. The Dems were able to get some ICE concessions with a minority (albeit due to the killings of US citizens). Even reforming it after 2029 would be a campaign promise fulfilled. Right. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/430 "2026-09-08T02:06:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > If the Dems take the House, they can reduce the budget for ICE. Yes. Doing that will help, even though Trump could continue to prioritize ERO functions in the manner he prefers and just make further cuts from the HSI side, blaming the bad that happens on the cuts. The House could also run investigations into abuses. These could be promises that can be made and kept for midterms. But then moving forward - there is an opportunity to set up some real sane immigration reform in a hopefully next Democratic presidency who might actually be able to get a package through Congress, possibly even with bipartisan support. It is worth running on. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/431 "2026-09-08T03:48:19Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > But then moving forward - there is an opportunity to set up some real sane immigration reform in a hopefully next Democratic presidency who might actually be able to get a package through Congress, possibly even with bipartisan support. It is worth running on. I would love that. I suggest - amnesty if the immigrant has been in the USA for ten years, has filed and paid taxes, and not been involved with gangs or felonies. But if in a gang or a felony- deport. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/432 "2026-09-08T14:51:33Z")
All good points. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/433 "2026-09-17T20:06:12Z")
Probably best to drop this here? > **[Trump withdraws his nominee to lead ICE — The Washington Post](https://apple.news/AkPfJWlB8SCCCWYJl2dNYWw)** > > The Senate has not confirmed an ICE director in over a decade. There were mounting signs Lance Schroyer would face resistance clearing that hurdle. In the for abolish side of the discussion - any good slogan for reorganizing, eliminating , or at least constraining all of DHS? It seems like its anti terror justifications are now used more inappropriately than not more generally? Not just regarding immigration. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/434 "2026-09-18T02:59:50Z")
I sort of feel like a slogan, or making it a major campaign item may be a mistake. Instead, just make it part of the party platform and just _do it_ if/when you have control of Congress, or can wheel and deal enough votes to do it. Making it a campaign issue opens the whole concept up to all the stuff we’ve worn out talking about upthread. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355/435 "2026-09-26T05:07:19Z")
> **[ICE wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in rapid push to expand detention...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-spending-detention-capacity-gao-report/)** > > With an unprecedented budget, ICE spent billions in a rush to expand its detention network, wasting millions in the process, the Government Accountability Office found. > In a single day in January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spent more money than it had on any other day in either of President Trump’s terms, federal spending records show. > > The agency advanced billions to Chicago Title Insurance in escrow to acquire detention facilities, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. Over the next two months, ICE used $1.07 billion of the funds to purchase 11 warehouses it planned to convert to detention megacenters, seven of which the agency now plans to sell. > > The rest of the money sat with the firm for months after ICE abandoned the warehouse plan. In July and August, ICE moved $2.2 billion from Chicago Title to purchase four detention facilities from CoreCivic, a private prison company it separately pays to continue operating them. In its rush to expand detention capacity, ICE wasted millions of taxpayer dollars, the [Government Accountability Office found](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108663) in a report released Thursday. The agency failed to account for long-term costs in acquiring detention centers and lost $20 million in unrecoverable costs purchasing the warehouses it no longer plans to use, the review found. Even more could be lost if ICE sells the warehouses for less than what it paid for them, the GAO report said. > > Barring any undisclosed purchases, $1.55 billion still sits with Chicago Title Insurance for acquiring detention centers as ICE continues its push to double the number of detention beds in service of the president’s mass deportation agenda. Another reason to block ICEs budget. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democratic-party-official-position-is-to-abolish-ice/1032355.md?page=21)