Quigley Calls for Dismantling of ICE

Today, Chicago Congressman and former defense attorney Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement on DHS’s killing of Alex Pretti and called for the dismantling of ICE in its current form:

“The murder of VA nurse Alex Pretti has shocked and horrified all Americans. It is now abundantly clear that, under Trump, ICE and CBP cannot function as intended. ICE has been co-opted by Trump into a secret police bent on frightening, intimidating, and harming Americans. As the saying goes, the fish rots from the head.

“At its inception, ICE’s mission was to protect the United States and preserve our national security and public safety. It has become the very thing it was meant to protect against. Under Trump, Noem, Bovino, and ICE director Todd Lyons, the agency is no longer defending against the ‘worst of the worst.’ They have indiscriminately targeted immigrants and U.S. citizens alike — including children — violently attacked protestors and bystanders, racially profiled Latino Americans, and now brutally killed multiple U.S. citizens. The leadership of ICE and CBP continues to lie directly to the American people — making false claims about those killed that are immediately contradicted by video evidence. We saw their lies in Chicago, and now we see them in Minneapolis.

“We must dismantle Trump’s ICE from the top down and in its place build an organization re-committed to the original mission of immigration enforcement in our country: the welcoming and screening of new immigrants, the deterrence of illegal entry, the removal of actual security threats, and the adjudication of permanent residency and naturalization. Immigrants are not a national security threat, and the agencies dedicated to their welcome should not be led by individuals who see them first and foremost as an enemy.

“Immigrants make our nation great. We were founded by immigrants and could not exist today without their spirit, hard work, and cultural contributions. My own grandparents were immigrants. America’s freedoms — from freedom of speech and assembly to freedom from persecution and violence — are what have made America the envy of the world and what are now at stake. I refuse to stand idly by while Trump continues his reign of terror.”

During “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago, Quigley called for an Inspector General investigation into ICE and CBP misconduct. He also introduced the PROTECT Immigration Act to stop ICE from drafting local police into immigration enforcement and, just last week, introduced an amendment to the DHS Appropriations bill to freeze ICE funding until significant reforms are made. When the Republican-led Rules Committee failed to adopt the amendment, Quigley voted against the bill.