Abdul El-Sayed calls for abolishing ICE during Michigan Democratic Senate debate

In a primary debate hosted by WoodTV8 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed said he would abolish ICE if elected, outflanking his debate opponent U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens to her left.

“I went to Minneapolis at the height of the Project Metro Surge," he said. “I watched as our government laid siege to a city in our own country. It was awful to see. ICE is not about immigration, ICE is not about the southern border. I was near the northern border. ICE is about normalizing paramilitary force on our streets. I've been clear that you can't reform ICE, you can't retrain ICE, you have to abolish ICE.”

El-Sayed then implied that the court systems should be revamped so that illegal immigrants have a pathway to citizenship. El-Sayed, who is running to replace retiring Democrat Gary Peters, has been clear on his intention to abolish ICE if elected. His campaign website further explains his reasoning.

“Abdul has called to abolish ICE since 2018, citing the murderous trajectory the agency was on back then,” the site reads. “Abdul’s opponents in the Democratic primary, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Congresswoman Haley Stevens, continue to insist that the agency, which has now murdered two American citizens, should persist. In fact, just a few months ago, Rep. Stevens joined MAGA Republicans, voting to ‘express gratitude’ for ICE.”

While many of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party are cheering the Bernie Sanders-backed candidate’s current polling advantage against the more moderate Stevens, there are some in the more moderate wing of the party who wince as they come to grips with what a more left-wing party would mean electorally in swing states like Michigan.

The debate highlighted a broader divide within the Democratic Party between candidates seeking to appeal to the party’s progressive base and those attempting to maintain support among moderate voters in competitive states. Michigan, a state decided by narrow margins in recent presidential elections, remains a key battleground where issues surrounding immigration enforcement and public safety could shape voter sentiment heading into the 2026 election cycle.