Democrats Find New Ways to Not Abolish ICE
When Democrats campaign on dismantling entities like ICE, the mainstream media often presents it as a bold, new possibility. What they conveniently omit is the bipartisan consensus that built and reinforced this carceral-state apparatus since 9/11. The Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, was a bipartisan creation under George W. Bush in 2002 via the Homeland Security Act (H.R.
5005), passed overwhelmingly with substantial Democratic support. Critics argued then, as now, that it would balloon into an unaccountable leviathan. Fast forward to Biden's administration, which campaigned on 'humane' immigration policies but has overseen record deportations and expanded detention capacity, as reported by outlets like the New York Times in 2023. The 'demand' for abolition is
strong, but the political will, particularly when corporate donors and defense contractors (who profit from detention centers) are factored in, tends to evaporate. One might just ask: how many times can a party promise fundamental change before it becomes mere political theater?