AOC pushes to abolish ICE noting it is "a rogue agency"

New York's Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has revived her call to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), generating strong criticism from Republicans amid a tightening of President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

In a recent fundraising email obtained by Fox News, Ocasio-Cortez called ICE a 'rogue agency that should not exist," arguing that it was created in 2003 under the Patriot Act and that its functions are incompatible with its values.

The White House responds

In an official statement, the White House took aim at the congresswoman and exposed a list of illegal criminals arrested by ICE in New York.

“Where is the congresswoman’s concern for her fellow New Yorkers who have been brutally killed, maimed, and raped by criminal illegal immigrants allowed to roam free due to New York’s so-called “sanctuary” policies?”

For its part, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) responded harshly, accusing Ocasio-Cortez of promoting an "extreme and unhinged" agenda.

In a statement, NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said, "House Democrat Minority Leader AOC is doubling down on their party’s most extreme, unhinged agenda, while the rest of her party is bending their knee to the radical wing." 

Marinella warned that this stance could lead Democrats to adopt a platform of "wide open borders" and "defunding the police" by 2026.

In the fundraising email, Ocasio-Cortez also addressed accusations of being an "extremist," explaining that she is seen as such for supporting policies such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, democratic socialism, funding herself with small donations, and advocating for the abolition of ICE.

More criticism of Ocasio-Cortez

Tricia McLaughlin, deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), criticized the congresswoman on her X account. She pointed to a 413% increase in assaults against ICE agents, which she attributed to the "demonization" of the agency by figures such as AOC.

McLaughlin defended ICE's work, claiming that its agents were "putting their lives and safety on the line” to arrest "murderers, kidnappers, and pedophiles" who entered the country due to the immigration policies of the Biden Administration.

For her part, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson also used her X account and questioned, "Why does AOC want to stop that?" by highlighting ICE's role in protecting U.S. citizens.