Attorneys general from 20 states, including some who are running for higher office, issued a show of support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement late Monday, just hours before the fates of some of their political careers will be decided in the midterm elections.
The 20 Republican officials — led by Jeff Landry of Louisiana — asked Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress to refrain from doing away with ICE, an agency of the Homeland Security Department, in the next session.
ICE was criticized by Democratic lawmakers and candidates over the summer for deporting people who illegally entered the country, prompting some to call for abolishing the agency.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.; and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the group emphasized the important role ICE has played as they investigate serious criminal operations. The attorneys general said they have partnered with ICE to apprehend and prosecute human traffickers, child predators, sex offenders, drug smugglers — all of whom were illegally in the country.
“The breadth and depth of these efforts are critical to public safety, and we — the chief legal officers of our states — are grateful for ICE’s high level of coordination and diligence in working with state and local governments,” the coalition of attorneys general wrote in the letter.
“Today, we call on you to uphold ICE and defend its agents,” they said. “We ask you preserve ICE’s existence and operations, which are necessary and fundamental to successful law enforcement throughout our country.”
One of the largest projects ICE undertook in 2018 was Operation Broken Heart, which led to the arrests of 2,300 alleged online child sex offenders.
In addition to large take-downs, ICE was commissioned by Congress to find fugitives from foreign governments hiding in the U.S. and dismantle cross-border criminal operations.
The attorneys said abolishing the agency would “debilitate” their efforts to protect residents.
The letter’s signatories are listed alphabetically by state: Steve Marshall of Alabama, Mark Brnovich of Arizona, Leslie Rutledge of Arkansas, Pamela Jo Bondi of Florida, Chris Carr of Georgia, Curtis Hill Jr. of Indiana, Derek Schmidt or Kansas, Bill Schuette of Michigan, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tim Fox of Montana, Wayne Stenehjem of North Dakota, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Mike Hunter of Oklahoma, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Marty Jackley of South Dakota, Ken Paxton of Texas, Sean Reyes of Utah, Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia, and Brad Schimel of Wisconsin.
