Rep. Ayanna Pressley Co-Sponsors Bill to Abolish ICE Amid Rising Deaths in Custody
Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) is among 13 House Democrats who have co-sponsored the 'Melt ICE Act,' a bill introduced by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois) aimed at dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The legislation seeks to end the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to surveil and jail immigrants and redirect enforcement funding towards federal housing and healthcare programs. This push comes in response to a significant increase in deaths within ICE custody, with at least 53 fatalities reported since President Trump's return to office, making the past fiscal year the deadliest in the agency’s history. Additionally, there have been reports of federal immigration agents shooting and killing individuals, including two unarmed fathers in their vehicles and a man fatally struck by a semi-truck while fleeing agents. Advocates argue that ICE's tactics are leading to civil rights violations and causing widespread fear among immigrant communities.
