Here’s what happened.
Democrats are once again intensifying their attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), using a tragic incident in Minnesota to renew calls for dismantling the agency as President Donald Trump presses forward with his border enforcement agenda.
The renewed backlash follows the death of a Minnesota woman earlier this month during an encounter involving an ICE officer. The incident has sparked outrage from progressive activists and lawmakers, who argue the agency’s enforcement tactics have gone too far—claims the administration strongly disputes.
Appearing Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) openly questioned ICE’s structure and leadership. When asked by CNN host Jake Tapper why some Democrats are reviving demands to abolish ICE, Gallego said the agency should be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up.
Gallego argued that immigration enforcement should narrowly focus on dangerous criminals and national security threats, while criticizing Trump-era policies and senior White House advisers. His remarks echoed a broader Democratic push to roll back enforcement measures implemented since Trump returned to office.
President Trump’s immigration strategy—centered on border security, interior enforcement, and deportations of criminal illegal aliens—has faced sustained opposition from the left. That opposition has intensified in recent weeks as critics seek to tie the Minnesota incident to broader policy debates, even as investigations remain ongoing.
A recent CBS News/YouGov poll found that 61 percent of respondents described ICE’s enforcement actions as “too tough,” while 15 percent said they were “not tough enough.” Supporters of ICE argue such polling often reflects media narratives rather than the realities faced by frontline law enforcement officers.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has launched an internal review of the incident.
“We are following the same investigative and review process that we always use under ICE and the Department of Homeland Security,” Noem said during an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, emphasizing that the review will proceed according to established procedures—not political pressure.
As Democrats escalate rhetoric against ICE, the Trump administration has made clear it will continue backing federal immigration officers, arguing that border security and public safety remain core responsibilities of the federal government.