President Donald Trump's policies on immigration are behind most Democrats' frustration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE], Sen. Ben Cardin said Tuesday, while not giving a solid answer about whether he agrees with his colleagues that the agency should be abolished.
"We're always going to have an agency at the border," the Maryland Democrat told CNN's "New Day" program. "It's the policy set by this administration that's causing the frustration against ICE."
Cardin said that his priority is not with ICE but instead to abolish the Trump administration's policy that results in the separation of children from their parents at the border "and that denies people coming to this country to seek asylum for domestic abuse or gang violence," Cardin said.
But rather than answering if ICE should be abolished, Cardin insisted that it's the "Trump policy that's the problem at the border" and that whatever agency that is in place will be following his policies.
"We've got to change the policy of this administration," Cardin told show co-host John Berman.
"I don't want [ICE agents] being ordered to separate families at the border. I don't want them to be said that you can't have a process to seek asylum when you're in fear of your life."
He added that he wants the United States to continue carrying out its "traditional role" of accepting refugees.
"That's where I want to have America change its policies," said Cardin. "Those that are called upon to implement it, they'll carry out a fair policy, not President Trump's policies."
Cardin also on Monday said federal officials have been "very tight lipped" about how many children have been reunited with their families after Trump issued an executive order on the matter.
"They won't give us the numbers," he said. "We requested it. Congress has a responsibility to get the facts out to to the American people and they have not made that information available."
Cardin also commented on the news that North Korea recently expanded a factory complex that produces key engines for solid-fuel ballistic missiles, saying that there has been no proof that any progress has been made diplomatically with the Asian country.
"What I find outrageous is that the Republicans in Congress have held no briefings for members in Congress," said Cardin. "We're in the dark as to what is happening. That's not good."
He also said he does not believe North Korea is taking steps to denuclearize or has even begun the first steps.
"First you get a full list of their program, all of the venues, and you know where you're starting from," he said. "That has not taken place. We have not even gotten to the preliminaries yet," he said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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