Immigration

Recent events in Minnesota bolster the already strong case for abolishing ICE - and for the plan of doing so by transferring its funds to ordinary state and local police.

Ilya Somin | 1.17.2026 5:49 PM

Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  depredations in Minnesota further strengthen the already compelling case for abolishing the agency. A recent federal district court ruling outlines in detail ICE's extensive use of force against peaceful protestors, violations of a variety of constitutional rights, and other cruel, unjust and illegal actions.  Moreover, it is clear that these wrongs are not just the fault of a few rogue agents, but structural defects in the agency and its mission, exacerbated by the Trump administration's enormous expansion of it, and hiring of numerous dubious new recruits. The agency doesn't even follow its own supposed safety guidelines, which neglect was one of the reasons for the indefensible killing of Renee Good.

These widespread abuses have turned already skeptical public opinion further against ICE, to the point where a substantial majority of Americans disapprove of the agency, and - for the first time - a narrow plurality want to see it abolished.

Abolition is indeed the right approach. In an August 2025 article in The Hill, I outlined how to do it: by shutting down the agency and transferring its funds to state and local police. This strategy would have the virtue of  simultaneously further expanding political support for abolition,  reducing crime, and ending ICE abuses. Here is a brief excerpt:

The Immigration........

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