President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate Patty Murray (D-WA) speaks to reporters, following the weekly Senate caucus luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
Weekly Senate caucus luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington
Sen. Patty Murray is facing criticism after an X post in which she suggested she had not heard any Democrats call to “abolish ICE,” a claim that has sparked pushback given the public record.
While Murray appears to be trying to distance mainstream Democrats from the most aggressive anti-ICE rhetoric, critics say the comment ignores the fact that “Abolish ICE” was openly used by multiple Democratic lawmakers, candidates, and activists during the height of the immigration debate. That divide has also shown up more recently suring high-profile ICE enforcement activity in Minneapolis.
Democratic officials and allies called for the agency to scale back operations or leave the area entirely, with some sharply criticizing ICE’s presence on the ground.
Republicans and conservative commentators quickly responded on X, pointing to past Democratic “Abolish ICE” rhetoric and recent enforcement controversies as evidence the position has been part of the broader political conversation on the left.
Critics argue Murray’s framing doesn’t match that record, while Democrats maintain such rhetoric does not reflect the party’s mainstream position today.
