Julián Castro jabs ICE: ‘Delete your account’

Democratic presidential candidate and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro mocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Wednesday over a tweet it released celebrating Human Rights Day. 

“Delete your account,” the White House hopeful tweeted in response to a tweet from the agency.

Delete your account. https://t.co/IdsFsAYsv4

— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) December 11, 2019

Multiple social media users quickly backed the former Obama Cabinet official. 

Thank you

— Lis_andrello (@HLisandrello) December 11, 2019 

Here is today’s shade https://t.co/0b0SfmJlHU

— Julio Ricardo Varela (@julito77) December 11, 2019

pic.twitter.com/JVeQqHYPau

— Joel A (@BigJoel12) December 11, 2019

Castro has previously called for border crossings into the U.S. to be decriminalized.

In the news release ICE shared alongside its Tuesday tweet, Assistant Director for National Security David Shaw said, “The women and men of ICE dedicate themselves every day to protecting the dignity and human rights of people around the world. Through our work investigating perpetrators of genocide, torture, war crimes and other violations of human rights, they are committed to seeking the prosecution and removal of human rights violators seeking refuge here.”

ICE has faced a slew of allegations of violating human rights, including earlier this year after Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced a bill pushing the agency to stop the “overuse” of solitary confinement in its facilities. The legislation followed NBC News reports earlier this year that found ICE had put thousands of immigrants in solitary confinement between 2012 and 2017.

“Solitary confinement is cruel, demeaning, and abusive, and its exploitation in the context of civil immigration is indefensible,” Booker said at the time. “Solitary confinement causes serious and dangerous health consequences, and its widespread, unjustified use by ICE is yet another example of the Trump Administration’s blatant disrespect for human rights.”