White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Thursday attacked Democrats over a push by liberal members of the party to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
{mosads}They “talk more about abolishing ICE than abolishing ISIS,” Conway said on “Fox & Friends,” referring to the terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
“We’re in very dangerous times,” she added. “The men and women of ICE … they’re just doing their jobs.”
.@KellyannePolls: “I don’t understand why [@TheDemocrats]… talk more about abolishing ICE than abolishing ISIS.” pic.twitter.com/fGQ2NjJD7Z
ICE has faced backlash by some Democrats for its role in implementing President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The agency drew renewed scrutiny over the administration’s zero tolerance policy, which led to the separation of thousands of migrant children from their parents.
Some Democrats have voiced support for getting rid of the agency and starting a new entity from scratch. That idea has been endorsed by potential 2020 presidential candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).
Trump has repeatedly highlighted Democratic calls to abolish ICE, tying the proposal to the Democratic Party as a whole. He has praised ICE, and suggested that Democrats will suffer in the midterm elections because of their criticism of the agency.
Efforts to dismantle ICE do not appear to have gained support from a majority of Democratic lawmakers. The House passed a resolution last week supporting ICE, with 18 Democrats supporting the agency and 133 voting “present.”