Dem Rep Delia Ramirez introduces bill to abolish ICE, dismantle DHS

Democrat Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, of Illinois, has introduced a House Bill that would abolish US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by dismantling the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which would be replaced with the "Department of Community Safety." The "community-led" legislation, introduced on Tuesday, is called the "Reimagining Safety Act."

The bill comes just before the midterm elections, as Democrats capitalize on their ongoing anti-ICE campaigns to energize their voter base, despite the majority of Americans supporting deportations, according to polls.

The Reimagining Safety Act, according to a press release, would do the following: Abolish ICE and CBP; dismantle DHS while preserving CISA, FEMA, and TSA; establish the Department of Community Safety; reinvest funds in communities; "limit government surveillance, rein in unlawful abuses of data, and curb militarized enforcement"; and begin the process of creating a separate civil immigration system.

Rep. Ramirez, who represents Chicago, said that her "community members," otherwise known as foreign nationals and/or illegal immigrants, have been "targeted," "terrorized," and "attacked" by DHS through its "unlawful mass deportation campaign." She said anti-ICE activists in her district, who have been acting as "rapid responders," worked to build the legislation.

"Building something new, creating in a time of destruction, is a revolutionary act," said Rep. Ramirez. "It is proof of our hope and belief in what is possible even in dark times. The people have the power to reshape our government and to reimagine how we cultivate safety and collective well-being."

Ramirez was joined by numerous Democrat state legislators, public officials, and anti-ICE leaders of nonprofits while announcing the legislation during a press briefing in Chicago, a self-declared sanctuary city with one of the highest populations of illegal immigrants in the nation.
 

"Who is this government actually keeping safe? You cannot militarize our neighborhoods, surveil our families, and make people afraid to leave their homes and call that safety," said Illinois state rep. Norma Hernandez, while voicing her support for the Reimagining Safety Act. "And we cannot separate any of this from the bigger agenda we are witnessing: an agenda that has disproportionately targeted Latino, immigrant, Black and Brown communities, treating the color of our skin, the language we speak, and where we come from as reasons to target us and treat us as if we are less human."

Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes added, "For over a year, our Northwest Side Rapid Responders and I have been on the ground responding to ICE agents terrorizing our city. We have witnessed the devastation of parents stolen, elders brutalized, and children left without their caregivers. Despite this harm, DHS has received an increased budget at the expense of our safety nets of Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP. More cuts to our safety nets mean more strain to families barely getting by. We are a community that has always shown solidarity in protecting our neighbors. The Reimagining Community Safety Act is the tool that will keep us safe. Congress must act now."

Chicago has been at the forefront of the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda due to its sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants. Immigration authorities, including ICE and CBP, mobilized in large numbers last year for an ICE surge dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, which included large-scale raids targeting the "worst-of-the-worst" offenders. Thousands of foreign nationals were arrested, many of whom were repeatedly released from local jails after Illinois authorities refused to notify ICE due to the sanctuary statute, according to DHS.

Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who recently proposed reparations for illegal immigrants, have repeatedly condemned the Trump administration's mass deportation operations and doubled down on sanctuary status. As a result, Chicago was selected for ICE raids due to the state and city's non-compliance with federal immigration law. Sources told The Post Millennial that ICE presence will once again increase in Chicago, as well as sanctuary cities across the nation, as DHS vows to target jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate and/or work with ICE.

The Reimagining Public Safety Act is co-sponsored by Democrat reps. Rashida Tlaib, Jim McGovern, and Adelita Grijalva.