Remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Wednesday signal that national Democrats are pursuing sweeping changes that extend far beyond abolishing ICE, Breitbart reported.
During a town hall, Omar said Democrats are not only discussing eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but are also engaged in conversations about dismantling the Department of Homeland Security altogether.
"What I will say is that there is an easier conversation happening today than six, seven years ago when I got to Congress, about what we need to do with ICE, which is to abolish it," Omar told attendees in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
She added, "There is a lot of conversation about what the dismantlement of the Department of Homeland Security should look like."
Omar's remarks come as Democrats continue to protest federal immigration enforcement operations under President Donald Trump. ICE, which was established in 2003 under DHS, has carried out immigration enforcement actions for more than two decades.
Thursday marked the sixth day of a federal shutdown forced by congressional Democrats over their demands to reform ICE.
Democrats are pushing a series of new restrictions on ICE operations, including banning agents from wearing face masks and requiring judicial warrants before making arrests.
They are also calling for a mandate that ICE agents wear body cameras — something the Trump administration is already moving toward.
In addition, Democrats are seeking to prohibit immigration enforcement actions at what they describe as sensitive locations, including hospitals, schools, and polling sites — a proposal Republicans have flagged, noting that noncitizens are prohibited from voting in U.S. elections under federal law.
In recent weeks, several Democrat leaders have strongly condemned ICE operations. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who lost the 2024 election to Trump and Vice President JD Vance, warned that federal enforcement efforts could expand nationwide.
"To Americans who are watching this, if you're in Portland or you're in L.A., or you're in Chicago, or you're wherever, they're coming next," Walz said.
Republicans have argued that ICE's enforcement actions are lawful operations carried out by federal authorities tasked with upholding immigration law.
Critics of Democrat proposals say dismantling ICE — or DHS more broadly — would significantly reshape national security of the homeland.
DHS oversees 22 agencies focused on national security and public safety.
Major components include Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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