Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said to Fox News host Jesse Watters that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not working [1].
The exchange highlights the deepening divide over immigration enforcement and the role of federal agencies during a high-stakes Senate race in Michigan.
During the interview on Monday night, El-Sayed said that the current system of immigration enforcement is ineffective [1]. He compared the current state of the border and interior enforcement to the era of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which was the predecessor to ICE [3].
"We had far fewer illegal migrants when the country had the larger INS, and therefore clearly ICE is not working," El-Sayed said [3].
The conversation shifted into a broader clash over culture-war topics and government efficacy [1]. While much of the debate centered on the numbers of undocumented immigrants, the two men also sparred over the current economic climate [3].
El-Sayed said Watters did not appear upset about the rise in gas prices amid the Iran war [3]. The interview, which later appeared on the Rising morning-show segment, featured frequent interruptions as the candidate attempted to link current policy failures to historical agency structures [1], [2].
Watters pushed back against the candidate's assessment of ICE, leading to a contentious atmosphere in the studio [2]. The debate reflected a larger national tension regarding whether the solution to illegal immigration lies in the restructuring of agencies or the intensification of current enforcement measures [2].
“"ICE is not working."”
El-Sayed's critique of ICE suggests a campaign strategy focused on systemic institutional failure rather than simple policy disagreement. By citing the INS, he is attempting to frame the current immigration crisis as a failure of the specific agency structure created after 2003, positioning himself as a candidate seeking structural reform over the status quo of both major parties.
