No one arguing to abolish ICE is arguing to abolish immigration enforcement. That’s a category error. The argument is whether we abolish a rogue agency that has been structurally rotten from the start.
The U.S. enforced immigration law for decades before ICE existed. ICE was created in 2003 as part of the post-9/11 DHS experiment. A militarized interior enforcement arm designed for speed and coercion, not due process.
We can have immigration enforcement in 2026 the same way we did before 2003: through accountable, civilian institutions subject to oversight. ICE is a historical aberration, not some sort of law of nature.