Obama Adviser Issues Stark Warning on ICE Abolition Campaign Strategy
David Axelrod, who served as a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, has delivered a pointed warning to Democratic politicians: campaigning on the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is not a winning message. Axelrod's comments come amid heightened debate over immigration enforcement following tragic incidents involving ICE and Border Patrol agents.
Recent Tragedies Fuel Calls for ICE Abolition
The movement to abolish ICE has gained significant momentum after the killings of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE and Border Patrol agents, respectively. These incidents have sparked outrage across the political spectrum and renewed calls for fundamental changes to immigration enforcement agencies.
During an appearance on CNN with hosts Boris Sanchez and Brianna Keilar, Axelrod expressed concern about how the abolition message might be perceived by voters. "Not if it implies that there's not going to be any immigration enforcement in the country," Axelrod cautioned. "I think people believe there should be. I think people believe you should come to the country legally, and if you don't, there should be some penalty for that."
Growing Political Support for ICE Abolition
Several prominent left-leaning politicians have recently voiced support for eliminating ICE. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois have all spoken out against former President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies and called for ICE's abolition.
Mamdani explained his position during an appearance on ABC's "The View" last week, stating: "I am in support of abolishing ICE, and I'll tell you why: Because what we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist."
Backlash Extends Across Political Spectrum
The political fallout from these incidents extends beyond progressive circles. Pretti's killing on Saturday has generated significant backlash from conservatives as well, with some calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired over her handling of the situation.
Public opinion appears to be shifting on this issue. Sanchez cited a new Fox News poll during the CNN segment showing that support for abolishing ICE has doubled since 2018, rising from 18% to 36% of respondents.
Axelrod Draws Parallel to Police Defunding Debate
When asked directly whether Democrats should campaign on eliminating ICE, Axelrod strongly rejected the idea, drawing a comparison to the controversial "defund the police" movement that emerged during previous election cycles.
"The problem that we've seen before, when people said abolish the police or defund the police ... I don't think most people who said it believe that there should be no policing function in cities, but the implication was that there could be," Axelrod explained. "So I don't think Democrats want to get into that again."
The former Obama adviser did acknowledge room for significant reform, suggesting: "I do think they want fundamental root and branch reform, and if it means getting rid of the name ICE, which has become a very bad brand, that's one thing. If it means that we're just going to abandon immigration enforcement, I don't think Democrats or Republicans would support that in large numbers."
Axelrod's warning highlights the delicate political calculus facing Democrats as they navigate immigration policy debates ahead of upcoming elections. His comments suggest that while reform may be necessary and popular, complete abolition could prove politically risky for candidates seeking broad voter support.
