Anti-ICE Democrats have been emboldened by another shooting during an ICE arrest. Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois introduced the Reimagining Safety Act on Wednesday, which aims to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and redirect its funding to left-wing community safety programs.
Ramirez stated that the legislation would create a “new human- and community-centered federal department” focused on promoting “collective safety.” She emphasized that the new initiative would prioritize humanity over “surveillance” and “terrorizing people.”
During congressional hearings, Ramirez has previously compared ICE agents to the Ku Klux Klan and slave patrols. In July, she stated: “ICE is shooting people who are going to work, taking their children to school, and even visiting as tourists. The death toll of ICE victims keeps rising. The actions of ICE’s masked death squads reflect the shameless cruelty of President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller’s policies, paid for by our tax dollars. It’s time to stop the ICE age.”
The bill would redirect funding from ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to programs that “working families rely on.” Ramirez introduced the legislation at a news conference in Chicago, where she was joined by various politicians, immigration rights activists, and community organizers.
Calls against ICE and the DHS have increased among Democrats following the latest ICE-involved shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.
