Abolish ICE' movement gains momentum in Dem circles. Trump finally responds, shuts it down.

Calls to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a Homeland Security agency tasked with enforcing immigration laws, reached a fever pitch this week when well-known Democratic politicians joined the fight to shut down the agency.

President Donald Trump defiantly responded to the calls Saturday morning. According to Trump, the abolition of ICE "will never happen."

What did he say?

Why do Dems want to abolish ICE?

ICE, which is tasked with immigration enforcement away from U.S. borders, has been "emboldened" to inhumanely round up illegal immigrants and deport them, critics say.

Progressives and those on the far-left have long urged ICE to be abolished, but the rallying cry broke into the Democratic mainstream this week following Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's upset victory in New York's 14th congressional district. Ocasio-Cortez is a self-described "democratic-socialist," who ran on abolishing ICE.

She was followed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) later in the week. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) even vowed to introduce a bill to Congress that would abolish ICE.

Pocan said:

During my trip to the southern border, it was clear that ICE, and its actions of hunting down and tearing apart families, has wreaked havoc on far too many people. From conducting raids at garden centers and meatpacking plants, to breaking up families at churches and schools, ICE is tearing apart families and ripping at the moral fabric of our nation. Unfortunately, President Trump and his team of white nationalists, including Stephen Miller, have so misused ICE that the agency can no longer accomplish its goals effectively.

I’m introducing legislation that would abolish ICE and crack down on the agency’s blanket directive to target and round up individuals and families. The heartless actions of this abused agency do not represent the values of our nation and the U.S. must develop a more humane immigration system, one that treats every person with dignity and respect.

ICE was founded in 2003 under then-President George W. Bush.