BEDMINSTER, New Jersey — President Trump said Sunday that Democrats “will never win another election” if they keep pushing to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I hope they keep thinking about it. Because they’re going to get beaten so badly,” he told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo. “You get rid of ICE, you’re going to have a country that you’re going to be afraid to walk out of your house. I love that issue if they’re going to actually do that.”
He predicted that Democratic leaders will alienate voters this year with an agenda of lax immigration enforcement.
“If the Democrats go left… between [Rep.] Maxine Waters, and [House minority leader] Nancy Pelosi and getting rid of ICE, and having open borders … all it’s going to do is leads to massive, massive crime,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s going to be their platform, open borders, which equals crime. I think they’ll never win another election, so I’m actually quite happy about it.”
His comments came amid weekend protests across the country against the administration’s immigration policies, with calls to abolish ICE endorsed by leading Democrats such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched against the administration’s policy of prosecuting all illegal immigrant adults on criminal charges and the separation of about 2,500 illegal immigrant children from their families, a policy which has since been rescinded by Mr. Trump.
SEE ALSO: Elizabeth Warren jumps on anti-ICE bandwagon: ‘This is about children held in cages’
“We need to rebuild our immigration system from top to bottom, starting by replacing ICE with something that reflects our morality,” Ms. Warren said at a rally in Boston on Saturday.
Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois Democrat, called ICE employees “incompetents.”
Mr. Trump tweeted Sunday, “The Liberal Left, also known as the Democrats, want to get rid of ICE, who do a fantastic job, and want Open Borders. Crime would be rampant and uncontrollable! Make America Great Again.”
ICE, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for arresting and deporting illegal immigrants. In the wake of the now-rescinded policy of separating illegal migrant children from their families, critics on the left increasingly are protesting the agency’s actions, including about 200 people who demonstrated along a highway in New Jersey Saturday near the Trump National Golf Club where the president and his family spent the weekend.
The protesters near the golf club held signs proclaiming messages such as, “My civility is locked in a cage/reunite families now,” “Even the Trump family belongs together,” and “We the people say no to the Trump agenda” taped over a rainbow flag.
The president said abolishing ICE will never happen on his watch.
SEE ALSO: Tammy Duckworth says abolishing ICE wouldn’t change anything
“To the great and brave men and women of ICE, do not worry or lose your spirit,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements. So brave! The radical left Dems want you out. Next it will be all police. Zero chance, It will never happen!”
The president said ICE officials are doing a vital job protecting the country.
“The Democrats are making a strong push to abolish ICE, one of the smartest, toughest and most spirited law enforcement groups of men and women that I have ever seen. I have watched ICE liberate towns from the grasp of MS-13 & clean out the toughest of situations. They are great!” he said on Twitter.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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