President Donald Trump slammed Democratic lawmakers for failing to back the ‘brave and heroic men and women of ICE’ in a video posted to Twitter on Saturday.
Trump was referring to 167 Democrats who either abstained or voted against a House resolution praising ICE on July 18. The motion was passed by Congress but blocked by Senate Democrats.
‘Without the brave heroes of ICE we would have no enforcement, no laws, no borders, and therefore, no country,’ he said.
During the three-minute video, Trump defended the agency against critics who consider its methods of enforcement heavy-handed by calling its officers ‘heroes’ whose work was vital to stopping another terrorist attack like September 11
Trump defended the agency against critics who consider its methods of enforcement heavy-handed by calling its officers ‘heroes’ whose work was vital to stopping another terrorist attack like September 11.
‘One of the critical lessons of 9/11 is that immigration enforcement saves lives. We must enforce the rules against visa laws illegal overstay, illegal entry, and other immigration violations and crimes,’ he said.
The President also quoted statistics that recorded 127,000 arrests of illegal immigrants charged or convicted of crimes within the United States as evidence that the agency was doing vital work.
‘These are very serious crimes and too many of them. Yet, leading Democrat politicians have called to abolish ICE, no one even believes it,’ he said.
‘In other words, they want open borders, and more crime. That’s what you are going to get.’
A small number of Democrats have expressed their support for abolishing the agency and creating a new one from scratch, including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gilbrand and Kamala Harris.
ICE has been criticized for what opponents see as heavy-handed tactics, including arresting undocumented migrants while they drop their children at school or deporting them for minor offences. Pictured: A protest against ICE in New York on July 26
Immigration and Customs Enforcement bore the brunt of criticism over its enforcement of the Trump administration’s now-reversed policy of separating migrant children from their parents.
It has also been criticized for what opponents see as heavy-handed tactics, including arresting undocumented migrants while they drop their children at school or deporting them for minor offences.
Protests across the US have regularly featured banners calling for the agency to be abolished, and public anger over its actions was thought to have led to the appointment of a new director earlier this month.