MN-Gov: Democrat candidates run the spectrum on whether to 'Abolish ICE

As the national debate over immigration turned a corner towards the "Abolish ICE" movement on the left, candidates for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination are divided on where they stand about the policy.

Here's what they say about "Abolish ICE"

Erin Murphy, a state representative, is the farthest to the left on abolishing ICE, but falls short of the extreme position some in the Democrat party espouse.

“I don’t like what ICE is doing,” Murphy said to the Minnesota Post. “They were developed out of 9/11 and they served a purpose."

"I have looked at the way we settle refugees in this state of Minnesota and in the United States," she added. "There is a rigorous process. And as ICE has grown more aggressive. I have had more questions about the role that they are playing in the lives of people and I am concerned about that.”

Murphy said that "Abolish ICE" advocates are "raising legitimate concerns."

“When I look ahead 10 years, we need to be a place that is welcoming people from other states and other nations to participate in our economy because we’re already facing workforce shortage in key industries: in health care, in education, in manufacturing,” Murphy continued. “And those are going to be exacerbated by a baby boom generation that is leaving the workforce.”

Walz: Reform don't abolish

Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) is opposed to abolishing the department, but says reform is needed.

“Reform certainly,” Walz told the Minnesota Post. “More importantly, give them clear direction of what the mission is. Let them carry out the mission of immigration control and enforcement, but on the front end where it’s not seen as a punitive force that comes in.”

He also touted the economic benefits of immigration, saying, “The diversity it’s brought to this nation has always been reinvigorated by these communities, it’s always been reinvigorated by these movements."

Swanson: Comprehensive immigration reform needed

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson advocated for comprehensive immigration reform, and said it was the job of Congress.

“Ultimately, we need comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level and that’s something Congress has to do, and I hope Congress will do that on a bipartisan basis,” Swanson told the Minnesota Post.

But, she fell short of calling for ICE to be abolished. She said that abolishing ICE was “nothing that I’ve called for in this campaign or as attorney general.”

On the Republican side, the grassroots team for Tim Pawlenty criticized the candidates on the left for even tacitly giving approval for the "Abolish ICE" movement.

Rep. Murphy's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on whether this was a reasonable characterization of the candidate's stance on the "Abolish ICE" movement.

Pawlenty's competitor Jeff Johnson also made it clear the "Abolish ICE" movement was far too radical.

"Clear choice in this election: I believe we should enforce immigration laws in America," Johnson tweeted.

The primary for Minnesota's gubernatorial election is August 14.