[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5063-S5064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I rise today because, like many 
Americans, I am deeply troubled by the Democrats' reckless calls to 
abolish ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. That is 
why I am introducing a resolution to condemn calls for the abolishment 
of ICE and express support for all officers and personnel who carry out 
ICE's important mission of protecting American borders. With the ever 
present threat of international terrorism in the post-9/11 era, 
abolishing ICE is unthinkable. As our country battles threats from 
abroad, a historic opioid crisis, and increasing rates of violence 
against law enforcement officers, we must show our support for the 
mission of ICE. That is what this resolution does: It says that we see 
all of you at ICE and your commitment and that the Senate supports you.
  ICE's mission is simple: to protect Americans from the cross-border 
crime and illegal immigration that threaten our communities. The 
criminal trafficking of persons and goods across our borders is among 
the greatest threats to public safety in this country. When ICE agents 
take to the streets, they are looking to protect our most vulnerable 
from being exploited by cartels and international gangs like MS-13. 
This violent gang has taken hold in at least 42 States, including 
Louisiana.
  Just last year, ICE agents removed a million pounds of narcotics and 
more than 4,800 gang members from the streets of this country. They 
arrested nearly 800 members of the notoriously violent MS-13 gangs, 
like Juan Blanco, who was arrested after assaulting someone with a 
machete in Baton Rouge. Those numbers are just a small fraction of the 
nearly 127,000 arrests made by ICE agents against people who came here 
and committed violent crimes against law-abiding Americans. Those 
criminals were responsible for more than 50,000 assaults, 2,000 
kidnappings, and 1,800 homicides.
  However, in 2017, assaults on law enforcement officers also rose 
dramatically. This wasn't limited to police officers; assaults on ICE 
agents nearly tripled last year. Now, I am shocked to hear that some of 
my colleagues are calling for this important Federal agency to be 
abolished. In fact, I learned today that some Democrats in the House of 
Representatives plan to introduce legislation that would abolish ICE 
and expose its agents to the scrutiny of international courts. This 
open contempt for ICE is astonishing, and it belittles the courage of 
those who work for this Agency and engage in the legitimate defense of 
our borders.
  The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency performs vital 
functions that are necessary to any government, like securing its 
borders. Last year, agents worked tirelessly around the clock to rescue 
1,422 victims of

[[Page S5064]]

human trafficking. More than 900 of those victims were children. 
Abolishing ICE would mean that these people, these precious lives, 
would still be in grave peril. If we were to heed these extremist calls 
to abolish ICE, thousands of pounds of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl 
would be in our schools and on the streets of our neighborhoods. We 
cannot ignore the role that ICE agents play in combatting terrorism, 
sex trafficking, child pornography, gang activity, labor exploitation, 
and the opioid crisis.
  I want to make sure that our agents understand that the American 
people have their back. My resolution will honor the mission of the 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and commend the bravery of 
these men and women who put their lives on the line every day to 
dismantle violent and dangerous gangs. I thank all my Republican 
colleagues who are joining with me on this crucial piece of 
legislation.
  Although much of their work is thankless and goes sight unseen, I am 
grateful to the thousands of ICE agents who work around the clocks to 
keep our streets safe. Without them and their tireless service, I can 
only imagine what our headlines would look like, and I am ashamed of my 
colleagues on the radical left who are calling for the elimination of 
this vital agency. I know I speak for more than just myself when I say, 
simply, don't abolish ICE.

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