Sen. Bernie Sanders also demanded āfundamental reformsā to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, saying they are āterrorizingā US communities.
US Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday demanded the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Millerāa key architect of Donald Trumpās violent mass deportation campaignāas well as concrete reforms in exchange for any new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In remarks on the Senate floor, Sanders (I-Vt.) called ICE a ādomestic military forceā that is āterrorizingā communities across the country. The senator pointed specifically to the agencyās ongoing activities in Minnesota and Maine, where officers have committed horrificāand deadlyāabuses.
Sanders said that ānot another penny should be givenā to ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) āunless there are fundamental reforms in how those agencies functionāand until there is new leadership at the Department of Homeland Security and among those who run our immigration policy.ā The senator has proposed repealing a $75 billion ICE funding boost that the GOP approved last summer, an end to warrantless arrests, the unmasking of ICE and CBP agents, and more.
I agree - but also, if anyone in congress deserves the benefit of the doubt, Iād say itās Sanders. I think the first major step back off this ledge is probably restoring the status quo. If we started on the exact best path forward tomorrow, Iām not sure it would START with abolishing ICE. It would start by utterly neutering them first, then dismantling them after eliminating their internal ability to resist, because we both know itāll be a loud and painful process no matter what.