Rep. Angie Craig Likens ICE Raids to 1930s Germany, Says ICE Funding and Shutdown 'Nothing Should Be Off the Table'
Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, likened recent ICE raids to actions in 1930s Germany and said cutting ICE funding or even a shutdown were options, asserting that "nothing should be off the table" to stop the operations. Other Democrats, including Sen. Ruben Gallego — who told CNN ICE should be "totally torn down" and rebuilt to focus on criminals rather than aggressive tactics — have echoed calls for major changes, prompting the White House to accuse Gallego of pandering to the "radical left" and defend ICE as removing "rapists, murderers, and other criminals."
📌 Key Facts
- On Jan. 20, 2026, Sen. Ruben Gallego told CNN that ICE "needs to be totally torn down" and recreated to align with public expectations.
- Gallego has also said previously that fully abolishing ICE would be a mistake.
- He contrasted a reimagined ICE that would target criminals and focus on security with what he called the Trump–Stephen Miller "goon squad" using masked agents and aggressive tactics.
- The White House, through spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, accused Gallego of pandering to the "radical left."
- The White House defended ICE as removing "rapists, murderers, and other criminals" and said Gallego was "siding with criminals."
- These comments and the White House response were reported by Fox News in an article titled "Borders state senator wants ICE to be 'totally torn down.'"
📊 Relevant Data
The share of convicted criminals among ICE arrests dropped from 46% to 30% between early 2025 and late 2025, meaning that 70% of arrestees had no criminal convictions.
An ever-larger share of ICE's arrested immigrants have no criminal record — Stateline
Latinos accounted for nine out of ten ICE arrests during the first six months of 2025, representing 90% of total arrests.
UCLA Report Finds Latino Arrests by ICE Have Skyrocketed Under the Trump Administration’s Second Term — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Primary causal factors for migration from Latin America to the US from 2020-2025 include economic opportunity, family reunification, corruption in origin countries, and low tax revenues leading to systemic issues, with unauthorized immigrants from Central and South America accounting for most new arrivals.
Key findings about U.S. immigrants — Pew Research Center
Mass deportations in Arizona could lead to higher wages and prices due to labor shortages in agriculture and construction, where immigrants represent 37% of low-wage workers compared to 24% for US-born workers.
Trump deportations may mean higher costs, labor shortages in Arizona — Cronkite News
Claims of a 1,153% increase in assaults on ICE agents from January to November 2025 were reported, but court records show few serious injuries, with the actual rise in assaults being significantly lower than claimed.
Attacks on ICE up 1000%? Court records show few serious injuries — Los Angeles Times
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Sen. Ruben Gallego, D‑Ariz., told CNN that ICE 'needs to be totally torn down' and recreated in line with public expectations, even though he has previously said fully abolishing ICE would be a mistake.
- Gallego explicitly contrasts a reimagined ICE that targets criminals and focuses on security with what he calls the Trump–Stephen Miller 'goon squad' using masked agents and aggressive tactics.
- The White House, via spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, responded by accusing Gallego of pandering to the 'radical left,' defending ICE as removing 'rapists, murderers, and other criminals,' and saying he is 'siding with criminals.'