NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Washington, D.C., January 18, 2025: Rep. Shri Thanedar on Thursday introduced legislation seeking to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing that the agency has become “beyond reform” and poses a threat to civil liberties and public safety.
The proposed legislation, titled the Abolish ICE Act, would dismantle the federal immigration enforcement agency and end its current enforcement authority. Under the bill, federal funding for ICE’s functions would be halted immediately upon enactment, with the agency formally abolished 90 days later. Any remaining assets or liabilities would be transferred to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
In a statement accompanying the bill’s introduction, Thanedar said ICE has prioritized aggressive enforcement over due process since its creation in 2003. “Americans are being terrorized,” he said, citing a series of deaths, raids, and alleged civil rights violations linked to ICE operations. Thanedar added that he previously introduced legislation to end qualified immunity for ICE agents but said recent incidents demonstrated that more sweeping action was necessary.
The bill’s findings section lists several incidents cited by the congressman as evidence of systemic problems within the agency. These include immigration raids in 2025 that resulted in deaths, the use of what the bill describes as “military-style” tactics during enforcement operations, and the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, during an ICE encounter in Minneapolis in January 2026. The legislation also points to deaths in ICE detention facilities and the arrest of U.S. citizens during immigration enforcement actions.
According to the bill, approximately 70 percent of ICE arrests in 2025 involved individuals with no criminal record, a statistic the legislation attributes to expanded enforcement policies under the Trump administration. The findings further accuse ICE of contributing to fear and instability in immigrant and non-immigrant communities across the country.
If enacted, the Abolish ICE Act would rescind all unobligated funds allocated to the agency and prohibit the use of federal funds to carry out ICE’s duties. The legislation does not specify which federal agencies would assume responsibility for immigration enforcement functions currently handled by ICE.
Thanedar, a Democrat, represents Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, which includes Detroit, Downriver, and the Grosse Pointes. He has positioned the bill as part of a broader push to reshape the federal government’s approach to immigration enforcement, emphasizing accountability, due process, and the protection of civil rights.
The bill has been introduced in Congress but faces significant political hurdles, with strong opposition expected from Republican lawmakers and others who support ICE’s current role in immigration enforcement.
