DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin publicly clashed Thursday with Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) after she introduced legislation that would abolish ICE and Customs and Border Protection and dismantle the Department of Homeland Security entirely.
Why it matters: It’s one of the most direct confrontations yet between a Trump Cabinet official and a sitting House Democrat over the “abolish ICE” movement, as some Democrats grow more vocal on immigration enforcement heading into the 2026 midterms.
Driving the news:
Ramirez introduced the “Reimagining Safety Act” this week in Chicago, which would strip ICE and CBP of funding and authority and fold what remains of DHS into a new “Department of Community Safety” — while, she says, preserving TSA, FEMA, CISA, the Coast Guard and customs functions, per Twitchy.
Mullin fired back calling the plan “radical,” defending the department’s roughly 270,000 employees and pointing to a spike in assaults on ICE officers, per Fox News.
A DHS spokesperson said Ramirez should be "thanking" law enforcement rather than "vilifying" it, citing criminal immigrants arrested in her Illinois district on charges including rape, sexual assault and homicide.
Ramirez also traded barbs with Texas Rep. Brandon Gill over the bill, countering his “American Power” framing with “It’s called Latina Power, Brandon!” per RedState.
By the numbers:
270,000 — DHS employees Mullin says the bill would put out of work.
1,300% — increase in assaults against ICE officers DHS cited in its response.
Sept. 23 — the day Ramirez introduced the bill at a Chicago news conference.
What they’re saying: "Radical leftists are calling to defund the police and abolish DHS. It’s NEVER going to happen. Our 270,000 DHS patriots are keeping Americans SAFE," Mullin said. A DHS spokesperson added: "Ramirez should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these dangerous criminals from her district—NOT vilifying law enforcement."
The other side: Ramirez says DHS itself is "the single greatest threat to our public safety today." "We are going to abolish the Department of Homeland Security and create a new department, where we completely strip ICE and CBP of their funding and authority," she said, adding, "Every day, Americans wake up with a new reason to dismantle DHS, reimagine safety, and build something that honors our shared humanity," per The Blaze.
What's next: With Republicans controlling the House, the bill has no realistic path to a floor vote — but Ramirez has said the fight is meant to be “agitational,” and it's likely to keep fueling the “abolish ICE” debate through the midterms.
The bottom line: A sitting DHS secretary and a sitting House Democrat are now openly at war over whether the agency should exist at all — a fight neither side is likely to drop anytime soon.
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