Democrats aren’t just talking about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement anymore. According to remarks from Rep. Ilhan Omar, the conversation now stretches all the way to dismantling the entire Department of Homeland Security — because why stop at one agency when you can target the whole building?
Speaking at a town hall in Golden Valley, Omar said there is now an “easier conversation” about what to do with ICE and made clear that the goal is to abolish it. She went even further, adding that “there is a lot of conversation about what the dismantlement of the Department of Homeland Security should look like.” Subtle, right?
Her comments come as Democrats continue protesting immigration enforcement operations under President Donald Trump. ICE, which was created in 2003 under DHS, has carried out immigration enforcement actions for more than two decades. Yet now, Democrats are treating it like a sudden historical mistake that needs erasing.
Thursday marked the sixth day of a federal shutdown driven by Democrats demanding reforms to ICE. Their proposals include banning agents from wearing face masks and requiring judicial warrants before making arrests. They are also pushing for a mandate that ICE agents wear body cameras — something the Trump administration is already moving toward, which makes the outrage feel a little late to the party.
Democrats are also seeking to block immigration enforcement at so-called sensitive locations like hospitals, schools, and polling sites. Republicans have flagged that noncitizens are prohibited from voting under federal law, making polling places an odd choice for sanctuary status — but logic isn’t always the guest of honor in these debates.
In recent weeks, Democrat leaders have intensified their rhetoric against ICE. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who lost the 2024 election to President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, warned that federal enforcement efforts could spread nationwide. He cautioned Americans in cities like Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago that “they’re coming next,” as if enforcing immigration law were a contagious disease.
Republicans argue that ICE’s actions are lawful operations carried out by federal authorities tasked with upholding immigration law. Critics of the Democrat proposals warn that dismantling ICE — or DHS itself — would dramatically reshape homeland security.
DHS oversees 22 agencies focused on national security and public safety. Major components include Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In other words, not exactly a light switch you just flip off without consequences.
While Democrats float ideas about tearing down the very agencies designed to protect the homeland, Republicans continue to argue for enforcing the law as written. And as this debate plays out, one thing is clear: under President Trump, border enforcement is still a priority — and Americans are getting a front-row seat to who wants security and who wants to experiment with it. In the end, strong leadership and clear laws remain the safest path forward.
