democrats vote to abolish ice as party fractures over immigration policy

During the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting in Austin, Texas, on August 13, 2026, the party's Resolutions Committee voted 25 to 12 to approve a resolution calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The measure, introduced by Louisiana DNC committeewoman Michele Johnson, urges Democratic members of Congress to craft legislation that would eliminate the agency entirely and replace it with a new immigration system providing pathways to citizenship and ensuring what the resolution describes as dignity for all impacted people. Johnson, who has been identified as a member of the New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America, argued that incremental reforms are insufficient to change what she characterized as a toxic culture within the agency. She specifically cited the death of anti-ICE protester Renee Good during a confrontation with federal agents in Minneapolis, as well as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller's stated goal of achieving 3,000 arrests per day, as motivating factors behind her push for abolition rather than reform. The resolution also referenced deaths of ICE detainees and allegations of poor conditions at detention facilities as justification for eliminating the agency.

The abolition resolution sparked significant internal debate among DNC members, revealing deep divisions within the party over how to approach immigration enforcement ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. An amendment proposed by Idaho's Terri Pickens that would have changed the word "abolishing" to "completely restructuring" was ultimately withdrawn, allowing the stronger language to stand. Marge Hoffa, the DNC's Midwestern regional vice chair, opposed the measure, pointing out that the committee had already passed a separate reform resolution during the same meeting that was introduced by DNC Chairman Ken Martin. Hoffa argued that passing both resolutions created a contradiction in the party's messaging. California DNC member Ada Briceño spoke in favor of abolition, stating that she had family and friends who were in the country illegally and expressing distrust of the agency. Texas member Jeff Strater also supported the resolution, noting that he was voting in alignment with his state Democratic Party's position. However, DNC member Yvonne Reeves-Chong voted against the measure, warning that it would only appeal to a narrow segment of the party's base while drawing criticism from other voter groups. She urged the party to focus on winning elections rather than adopting positions that could prove politically damaging.

The vote occurred against a backdrop of heightened controversy surrounding ICE operations under the Trump administration. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot during encounters with ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier in the year, incidents that led to the firing of former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. These deaths have galvanized progressive activists and renewed calls from the party's left wing to eliminate the agency, a position that first gained traction during the first Trump administration in 2018. Tom Homan, a prominent immigration enforcement official, reported in an interview with NewsNation that ICE had recorded its highest monthly arrest totals in the agency's history in June, with July's pace running even higher. The resolution goes beyond simply calling for abolition, also urging Congress to restrict DHS funding unless certain enforcement activities cease, including workplace raids, mass roundups, arrests at courthouses and ICE check-ins, and enforcement actions near schools and houses of worship. It further calls for terminating contracts with private detention providers, releasing immigration detainees except under limited circumstances, and expanding civil rights oversight.

The political implications of the DNC's vote are significant as Democrats prepare for the midterm elections. While many Democratic primary voters express unease with ICE's conduct, polling consistently shows that the broader electorate prioritizes economic issues over immigration. A January Marquette poll found that 40 percent of adults approved of ICE's job performance while 60 percent disapproved, with Republicans approving and Democrats and independents opposed. Sarah Pierce, director of social policy at Third Way, cautioned that immigration should not be Democrats' primary message to voters because it is not their top concern, though she added that ignoring the issue entirely would also be a mistake. She argued that criticism of what she described as reckless enforcement must be paired with a forward-looking plan for targeted immigration enforcement. Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters seized on the resolution, issuing a statement that Democrats had made it official that they care more about protecting violent illegal aliens than American families. DNC Chairman Ken Martin attempted to downplay the significance of the vote, noting that official party positions are determined at the convention every four years in the platform, but acknowledged that Democrats are united in believing that current ICE and CBP operations should stop. The resolution is not binding and does not set the party's platform, which will be determined at the 2028 convention, but it reflects the party's internal struggle to balance progressive demands with electoral pragmatism on one of the nation's most divisive issues.