Poll: Voters Oppose Abolishing ICE By Mairead McArdle
Most voters oppose abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll, after some congressional Democrats called for scrapping or reimagining it.
Over half, 54 percent, believe the government should keep the border enforcement agency, while only 1 in 4 voters think it should be abolished.
The remaining 21 percent of voters were undecided.
ICE has become more controversial lately as the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for illegal border crossers resulted in as many as 3,000 minors being separated from their parents as the adults were prosecuted.
Protests against the agency have erupted across the nation, with demonstrators adopting slogans like “No person is illegal” and “Crush ICE.”
Several high-profile Democrats have added their voices to the chorus calling for the agency’s elimination.
Potential 2020 presidential candidates Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris have called for ICE to be scrapped or replaced.
Socialist upstart Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who last month beat out veteran Representative Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for his New York City district House seat, has called the “draconian” ICE to be abolished.
A healthy block of Democratic voters, 43 percent, support getting rid of ICE, while only 34 percent support keeping it up and running.
The vast majority of Republicans, 79 percent, want to keep the agency, while independents were less enthusiastic at 54 percent.
Younger voters are more likely to support eliminating ICE, with voters under 30 supporting such a move by 39 percent. Majorities of all older age groups support keeping the agency.
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