Voters Want Massive Changes in ICE
Democrats should not underestimate their leverage
Ordinary Americans, as we have often noted, repeatedly demonstrate that they are far ahead of politicians from both parties at defending democracy, clamping down on government abuse, and protecting their neighbors. This is especially true when it comes to immigration.
Before Alex Pretti’s execution, few Democrats were willing to attach any conditions to funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Impeaching DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was considered a far-out suggestion, and MAGA Republicans were certain that immigration was a winning issue for them. Those assumptions have been turned on their heads as the industrial deportation machine has frightened and appalled Americans.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle are no doubt considering the public’s new stance on ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, proposed restrictions on these paramilitary forces, and immigration policy. It turns out that large majorities of Americans share the views of more progressive Democrats, such as Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), while recoiling against MAGA’s anti-immigrant venom.
On Alex Pretti’s murder specifically, YouGov polling shows: “By 55% to 18%, Americans say that federal immigration agents were not justified in the amount of force they used in shooting Pretti. Majorities of Democrats (89%) and Independents (57%) say the shooting was not justified.” Even 1 in 5 Republicans say it was not justified. (Among people who have seen the video, 66% think it was not justified; among those who haven’t, nearly half have no view, and 38% view it as not justified.) Nearly 80% think the agents involved should be investigated, and over half want them to face criminal charges.
Moreover, the problem for MAGA Republicans goes beyond Pretti to the heart of their defense of a lawless, violent paramilitary force:
Most Americans strongly or somewhat support requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras (90% support and 5% oppose), investigating all allegations of ICE agent misconduct (83% vs. 10%), requiring ICE agents to undergo de-escalation training (83% vs. 8%), having an independent agency investigate allegations of ICE misconduct (77% vs. 13%), requiring a longer training period for ICE agents (76% vs. 13%), creating stricter recruiting requirements for ICE agents (75% vs. 9%), and criminally prosecuting any ICE agent who kills someone (64% vs. 23%). . . . 49% support reducing ICE’s size and funding, while 41% oppose this.
Between 53 and 68% oppose practices such as detaining U.S. citizens, shipping detainees out of state, detaining suspected undocumented immigrants without proof (67%), and asking people on the street for proof of citizenship.
Some 75% or more (an unheard of consensus these days) oppose using tear-gas on peaceful protesters, smashing windshields of people they are detaining, detaining children to uncover the location of immigrant parents, denying immigrants access to lawyers, and entering homes without a judicial warrant.
On broader immigration policy, the public, once again, aligns with progressives. While large majorities of Americans want to deport violent criminals, not even a majority want to deport non-violent criminals (45%- 34%). Americans disapprove of deporting others:
35% say illegal immigrants who recently came to the U.S. and have not committed any crimes here should be deported, and 45% say this group should not be deported.
Majorities of Americans say the following groups of illegal immigrants should not be deported: those who have lived in the U.S. for many years without committing any crimes (22% say they should be deported and 65% say they shouldn’t be), those who have young children who are U.S. citizens (21% vs. 59%), those who came to the U.S. as children (17% vs. 66%), and those who are married to a U.S. citizen (11% vs. 72%).
Such data suggests Democrats must not underestimate the public’s hunger for real restraint on federal shock troops; Republicans should not underestimate the rage felt toward them, Donald Trump, and his regime operatives for terrorizing Americans.
As a preliminary matter, Democrats should make clear in every House and Senate race that the big ugly bill, which gave gobs of money to DHS with no restrictions and unleashed this torrent of abuse, passed on a near-party-line vote. Which means that every Republican Senator on the ballot could have cast the deciding vote against it (either by keeping it off the floor, in the case of Sen. Susan Collins, or voting against final passage). Every House member on the ballot, except for two (Reps. Tom Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania), voted to fully fund the DHS slush fund—with no real restrictions. Every Republican Senator on the ballot in 2026 voted to confirm Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi. All these Republicans share the blame for the horrors that have unfolded since.
Beyond holding every Republican accountable for his or her votes, Democrats should fully embrace common-sense reforms, which have overwhelming public support (e.g., unmasking, body cameras, independent investigation, prosecution for unjustified killings, stricter recruitment). Likewise, they should prohibit practices, which the public overwhelming opposes (e.g., detaining U.S. citizens, shipping detainees out of state, detaining suspected undocumented immigrants without proof, asking people on the street for proof of citizenship based on presumption and/or racism, tear-gassing peaceful protesters, smashing windshields, detaining children to uncover the location of immigrant parents, denying immigrants access to lawyers, and entering homes without a judicial warrant). It would be a policy disaster and political malpractice for Democrats to accept less than basic restrictions on such behavior.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), writing for the New York Times, offered sage advice. “We need to rip ICE down to the studs and start over,” she argued. “The Department of Homeland Security is barely more than two decades old; in the wake of this catastrophe, there is no reason we can’t come up with a way of enforcing our laws that doesn’t trample on our values and our Constitution.” She added: “Democrats should produce this plan now so we can present it to the American people come election time — the midterms are just months away.”
In addition, Democrats would be wise to support getting rid of Noem, Bondi, and other senior officials in the mass deportation scheme. Let Republicans justify their support for some of the most dangerous, dishonest, un-American, and incompetent public officials ever to hold office.
For Republicans, the polls should be a wake-up call signaling how far the electorate has come. If morality and policy do not move them, political survival might persuade them to stop obstructing the humane, Democratic reforms the public robustly supports.
All good but there is this. NO ICE AT POLLS.
Trump is most vulnerable on Epstein. Keep the eye on the ball.