Lesser-known to most Americans, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has become the object of intense criticism and dispute over the past few years. Calls for its abolition have become a central objective for the majority of immigration activist groups across the country, with attention drawn to ICE’s disproportionate targeting of low-income migrants of color, its use of hostile tactics, engagement in rights abuses, and its overall (budgetary) inefficiency. However, calls to end ICE are not always accompanied by suggestions for what follows, begging the question: what does the ending of ICE entail? Is it a call for the termination of immigration enforcement tout court? Should a new agency take over the task of enforcement? If not, what does this look like? If yes, how can we ensure it is different from the current system? What should perish and what remains, in a post-ICE world?
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