Democrats Suddenly Care About ICE Near Schools, After Years of Funding It
Twenty-seven Senate Democrats, according to The Hill, are now 'pressing' Education Secretary Miguel Cardona over ICE operations near schools, citing 'unnecessary fear' and potential negative impacts on attendance. This newfound humanitarian zeal arrives years after these very senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Cory Booker and Joe Manchin, consistently approved budgets
for DHS and its component agency ICE that funded these exact enforcement strategies. For context, Senator Schumer, for instance, voted to confirm Chad Wolf as acting DHS Secretary in 2020, who oversaw aggressive immigration enforcement, and has consistently voted for appropriations bills providing billions to DHS, enabling ICE's expansive operations. One might wonder if the timing of this letter,
coinciding with an election year, is less about genuine concern for immigrant children and more about shoring up progressive bona fides. It's a striking pivot from the same Democratic Party that, under previous administrations, oversaw record deportations. The system they now decry is largely one they funded and authorized, demonstrating a remarkable ability to critique operations after the checks
have already cleared.