Third Way advises Democrats to avoid 'Abolish ICE' calls for reform

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Center-left think tank Third Way advised the Democratic Party to avoid calls to "Abolish ICE" in favor of immigration reform in a new memo released on Tuesday.

The memo was written in response to renewed calls from progressive commentators and politicians to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency following the ICE-involved shooting of a Minnesota woman last week.

While Third Way agreed with the Democratic Party that the Trump administration's immigration policies were "defined by excess, escalation, and lawlessness," the group cautioned against pushing for a complete elimination of all immigration enforcement.

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The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent renewed progressive calls to "abolish ICE." (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

"The impulse is emotional," the memo read. "The slogan is simple. But politically, it is lethal. Every call to abolish ICE risks squandering one of the clearest opportunities in years to secure meaningful reform of immigration enforcement — while handing Republicans exactly the fight they want. This piece argues for a harder and smarter approach: abolish abuses, not ICE."

Third Way argued that Democrats could instead focus on ending what it described as "unaccountable uses of force" by ICE agents, ensuring that enforcement is restrained and transparent.

"Immigration laws are meaningless if they are not enforced. And they can be enforced in ways that protect public safety, respect legal norms, and uphold civil liberties. Voters understand this. They responded strongly to what they saw as a lack of enforcement under President Biden. But they are also recoiling from Trump’s excessive force," the memo read.

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Third Way compared the slogan to the "defund the police" movement from 2020. (Getty Images)

The group compared the phrase to the "defund the police" slogan from 2020, which has since become a controversial position in the Democratic Party and weakened broader discussions about police reform.

"The lesson is clear: when the debate sinks into polarizing slogans that read as anti-law or anti-safety, space for practical reform disappears," Third Way added.

The Democratic National Committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Third Way encouraged the Democratic Party to focus on reforming the department instead of abolishing it. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the progressive "Squad," reiterated her desire to abolish ICE on MS NOW Sunday.

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"I will continue to demand an independent and thorough investigation, continue to call on Congress in this moment to use appropriations and the power of the purse to rein in ICE. Again, I believe it should be abolished. We need public hearings and accountability," Pressley said.