Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley Wants To Dismantle ICE

BOSTON, MA — Boston city councilor Ayanna Pressley says she wants to get rid of ICE. It’s time to defund and dismantle the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, she announced this week.

Her announcement comes as protesters across the country make it known they are not happy with immigration raids and the detaining of undocumented individuals. She is one of a handful of Democrats who are not only pushing against ICE for rounding up undocumented immigrants, but asking for the dismantling of that agency altogether. Pressley called the immigration policies "deeply flawed" and "destructive."

“Our immigration system is fundamentally broken and ICE’s role in supporting the existing system – including separating families seeking refuge in the United States and conducting indiscriminate deportation raids in our communities – is creating an atmosphere of toxic fear and mistrust in immigrant communities,” she said in a statement posted online.

Pressley, who is running for Congress, told supporters Tuesday in Everett that she is looking at the legislation being proposed by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) which would abolish ICE and create a commission to implement a humane immigration enforcement system, while transferring necessary functions to other agencies.

It was met with with applause from some.

"We need real progressive democrats in Washington that are going to be more vocal and have a better knowledge about the history of oppression in this country," said Patricia Montes, executive director of Centro Presente, according to the Pressley campaign. "As a woman of color and as an immigrant, I feel confident that Ayanna is the person that is going to challenge that system oppressing us, and represent our interests."

ICE, which was founded in 2003 during the Bush presidency in the wake of 9/11, hasn't always been here, she argues. Pressley said there might still be room for the organization's non-deportation-related functions—combating child trafficking and money laundering—to continue, but under other agencies.

Proponents of #AbolishICE, which popped up on social media recently, having a federal agency tasked with enforcing immigration law is a very new thing. Before it was replaced by ICE the office of Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the INS focused on controlling immigration at entry, but didn't do much when it came to rounding up folks, until the new Department of Homeland Security.

Pressley is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, a fellow Democrat for his seat in Congress this year. Wednesday Pressley said she's planning to visit the Boston ICE detention center.

Previously on Patch:

Hundreds Protest Immigrant Policy At Boston State House

Photo of protesters calling their legislators during a rally on the steps of the State House last week by Jenna Fisher/Patch