On Monday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX), who was sworn in Monday night, spoke about ICE, saying he supports “totally abolishing the agency. I think it needs to be torn down to the ground.” And “I want to abolish it. I think you tear it down to the ground and when it comes back, it shouldn’t be ICE anymore.”
Co-host Joe Mathieu asked, “Well, let’s be realistic about what should happen. You said at your victory party that it’s time to uproot ICE. Is this about abolishing the agency or reforming it?”
Menefee responded: “I support completely abolishing the agency. I think it needs to be torn down to the ground.”
Mathieu stepped in to continue: “However, when you tear something down to the ground, that usually means you’re going to rebuild it. That’s not so much abolishing, but replacing, right?”
Menefee responded: “No, I want to abolish it. I think you have to tear it down to the ground, and when it comes back, it should no longer be ICE. It should be a different type of law enforcement agency that is built in a way that ensures that communities are going to be protected. You can’t take something that was created and radicalized to this level, that has harmed so many people, and try to implement minor reforms in a way that you think is going to protect people. I think they’re past the point. line, and after people are executed in the street, it is time to tear it down.”
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