Congressman Thanedar Calls for ICE Abolition Following Minneapolis Shooting

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., introduced legislation Thursday aimed at eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing that Americans are being terrorized by the agency’s violent tactics.

In a statement, Thanedar criticized ICE for prioritizing “aggressive enforcement and violence rather than due process” since its establishment in 2003. He cited the recent shooting death of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer as evidence that the agency is “beyond reform.”

“Last year, I introduced legislation to end qualified immunity for ICE agents, ensuring they are held accountable when they break the law,” Thanedar said. “But the killing of Renee Nicole Good proved that ICE is out of control and beyond reform. We must fundamentally change the way we approach immigration: it’s time to abolish ICE.”

The legislation would eliminate ICE 90 days after enactment, transferring its functions to the Department of Homeland Security or other entities while rescinding funding for its duties and removing its authority to enforce immigration laws.

Thanedar also called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached, claiming she “lied to my Homeland Security Committee. She has misused taxpayer funds, and now leading an agency, leading ICE, that is committing crimes across America.”

Tensions in Minneapolis have escalated in the past week following Good’s death on January 7. On Wednesday night, a federal officer shot an illegal alien in the leg after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle while attempting to make an arrest.

A White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, countered that ICE officers are facing increased assaults due to “dangerous, untrue smears from elected Democrats,” and asserted that “ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities.”

ICE was created under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and began operations in 2003. Prior to that, immigration enforcement was handled by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) within the Department of Justice.

The Bush administration argued that housing enforcement and immigration benefits within a single agency created conflicts and inefficiencies, leading to INS being dismantled and its responsibilities divided among ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.