Democrats Don’t Know What To Do About ICE
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖A new moderate Democratic think tank, Searchlight, advises against the 'abolish ICE' slogan, calling it a 'Republican trap' that hurt Democrats in past elections.
- ❖Searchlight recommends focusing on ICE reforms, such as removing problematic agents and improving training, to show a commitment to solutions.
- ❖Recent CNN and YouGov polls indicate significant public disapproval of ICE's enforcement actions (56% call Renee Good shooting inappropriate) and a slim majority (46%) supporting ICE abolition.
- ❖Democrats feel pressured by their base to take a moral stance against ICE but are burned by the political toxicity of 'abolish ICE' and 'defund the police' slogans in previous cycles.
- ❖The party's lack of confidence and skill in discussing immigration persuasively makes them hesitant to use government funding fights as leverage to reduce ICE's budget.
- ❖Even with shifting public opinion, Democrats fear that advocating for less money for ICE will reinforce the perception that they are 'soft on immigration' among moderate voters.
Insights
1The Moderate Democratic Stance: Reform Over Abolition
A new Democratic think tank, Searchlight, circulated a memo to lawmakers urging them to avoid the 'abolish ICE' slogan. They argue it is 'incredibly toxic,' plays into Republican narratives, and communicates an unwillingness to enforce laws. Instead, Searchlight advocates for proposing concrete reforms, such as 'weeding out bad apples' recruited by the previous administration and revamping training processes, to present a serious approach to the issue.
Lauren Egan reports on a leaked memo from the Searchlight think tank, which advises Democrats to 'stay away from abolish ICE' and instead 'lean into proposing reforms.'
2Political Costs of Slogans and the Fear of Repeat Mistakes
Democrats are hesitant to embrace 'abolish ICE' due to the perceived political price paid in the 2018 and 2020 elections, where slogans like 'defund the police' and 'abolish ICE' were used effectively by Republicans against them. This historical context creates a cautious approach, prioritizing electability and appealing to moderate voters over potentially polarizing progressive demands.
Lauren Egan states, 'Democrats made really bad mistakes in 2018 and 2020 with defund the police with abolish ICE... and we paid a political price for it.' She notes the 'shadow' these issues cast on the Biden administration and the need 'not overreact' to flash polls.
3Shifting Public Opinion and the 'Moral Clarity' Argument
Despite the political caution, recent polling data suggests a significant portion of the American public is critical of ICE's actions and even open to its abolition. This provides a counter-argument for those advocating for 'moral clarity' and stronger action against ICE, questioning why Democrats aren't leveraging this public sentiment more aggressively.
Sam Stein cites CNN and YouGov polls: 56% of Americans call the Renee Good shooting an 'inappropriate use of force,' 51% believe ICE actions make cities 'less safe,' and 46% of US adult citizens 'strongly or somewhat support abolishing ICE' (vs. 43% oppose), including 47% of independents.
4Limited Leverage and State-Level Resistance
Democrats acknowledge their limited power to enact federal changes to ICE while out of power, leading to a focus on state-level resistance. Efforts like demanding unmasked ICE agents or requiring QR codes are seen as 'nipping around the edges' but potentially more achievable than federal reforms or defunding, which face significant legal and political hurdles.
Lauren Egan notes, 'there's almost an acknowledgement that there's not a ton they can do unless they win elections.' She also mentions protests pushing for 'state legislators to pass similar laws like California did' regarding unmasked agents, recognizing that 'more immediately where things could actually change... is actually on the state level.'
Lessons
- When facing politically charged issues, assess the long-term electoral impact of slogans versus concrete policy proposals, as 'feel-good slogans' can become 'politically toxic.'
- Understand the nuance in public polling; general support for an idea (e.g., 'abolish ICE') may not translate to support for all its implications (e.g., government shutdown, no enforcement).
- Recognize that internal party divisions on sensitive issues can be exploited by opponents and complicate unified messaging, especially in primary elections.
- In situations of limited federal power, explore state and local legislative avenues for incremental change, even if they address 'edges' of the problem.
Quotes
"They basically describe it as playing into Republicans' like trap. They say it's incredibly toxic and that all you do is communicate that you're not willing to enforce laws."
"Democrats made really bad mistakes in 2018 and 2020 with defund the police with abolish ICE back in 2018 and we paid a political price for it."
"Americans 51 to 31% say that ICE enforcement actions are making cities less safe rather than safer."
"I think they still feel like if Democrats are out there and just like hammering this message of like we want to give less money to ICE that that they're just such a trust deficit on this issue within the party that like all that does is communicate to voters that you're still soft on immigration."
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