Democratic Sen. John Fetterman criticized members of his party who support the term “abolish ICE,” saying the party “must resist the destructive tendencies to push extreme positions.”
“Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation,” Fetterman added, noting that “even Mayor Frey of Minneapolis doesn’t support abolishing ICE.
Even Mayor Frey of Minneapolis doesn’t support abolishing ICE.
The party must resist the destructive tendencies to push extreme positions.
Secure the border.
Deport all the criminals.
Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation. pic.twitter.com/QbLyEGBtJ2
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) January 15, 2026
He was making reference to the fact that the city is at the center of the conversation at the moment as President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act as a result of rising tensions between protesters and federal forces following the killing of Renee Good and the shooting of a man in the leg after an attempted traffic stop.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump said in a social media publication.
Fetterman, on his end, posted the headline of a New York Times article saying some Democrats would like for the term “abolish ICE” to not be used anymore even if they are also critical of the agency. However, others are staying on that path. For example, Rep. Shri Thanedar from Michigan said he plans to introduce the “Abolish ICE Act” in the House to dismantle the agency.
The piece in question notes that many had hoped to “retire” the slogan, which is being brought back by some Democrats running for Congress in blue districts. They are saying that calls to eliminate the agency are a distraction from more pragmatic approaches, equating it to the term “Defund the Police.”
“The last thing we need to do, again, is to make the same mistake when it comes to ‘Defund the Police’ rhetoric. That ended up not actually helping communicate what people wanted. People want a slimmed-down ICE that is truly focused on security,” said Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego.
In the meantime, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made an appeal to Trump to avoid escalating tensions in the state: “Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” he said in a social media publication.
He also made an appeal to the Minnesotans, saying even though they “must speak out,” they need to do it peacefully. “We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants.”
Originally published on Latin Times
