Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.) said the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency should be abolished and replaced following fatal shootings involving the agency [1].
This call for a structural overhaul of federal immigration enforcement comes as political pressure mounts over the use of lethal force. The demand to replace the agency reflects a growing divide within the U.S. government regarding how to balance border security with human rights, and public safety.
Speaking during an interview on "Meet the Press NOW" on Tuesday, Mejia said a new approach to immigration enforcement is necessary [3]. She linked her position directly to recent violence, stating, “We need to abolish and replace ICE” [1].
According to reports, the fatal ICE-involved shootings that prompted these remarks occurred in Texas and Maine [1, 2]. While some reports focus specifically on the incident in Maine, others indicate a pattern of violence across multiple states [1, 3].
Mejia is part of a progressive wing of the Democratic Party that has long argued that the current framework of ICE is fundamentally flawed. The representative said the agency's current structure cannot be reformed through minor policy changes but requires a complete replacement to ensure accountability [2].
The incidents in Maine and Texas have drawn criticism from other lawmakers as well. Maine Democrats have specifically criticized GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the wake of the fatal shooting in that state [3].
Mejia said that the loss of life associated with these operations makes the current system untenable. She said a new entity must be established to handle immigration duties without the history of violence associated with the current agency [1, 2].
““We need to abolish and replace ICE.””
The call to abolish ICE represents a escalation of the progressive platform from seeking policy reform to demanding the total dissolution of the agency. By tying this demand to specific fatal shootings in Texas and Maine, Mejia is attempting to shift the debate from theoretical immigration policy to a matter of immediate public safety and government accountability.
