Can ICE Restore Its Reputation and Legitimacy Post Trump?
President Trump cracked down on immigration and immigrants and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the eyes of many, served as the attack dog. Calls to “Abolish ICE“, which garnered support from mainstream political leaders, have been at the center of protests. I admittedly was amazed at the power of the activism as well as the call for far-reaching, non-incremental, change.
Hamed Aleaziz for Buzzfeed explores whether President Biden can resuscitate ICE’s reputation:
“[A]s President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office, ICE, which is responsible for immigration enforcement and deportations inside the nation’s borders, is at a crossroads, its reputation in tatters and the scope of its mission in question. The agency has lost the faith of many Americans. . . . .
Biden has said he plans to halt all deportations for 100 days and has promised a new approach to immigration enforcement. Last week, Biden’s nominee to run the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, signaled the new tone . . . But what that change will look like remains to be seen. There are strong political headwinds on all sides: The union that represents ICE officers supported Trump in 2016; many progressives, meanwhile, revile the agency.
BuzzFeed News spoke with 12 current and former ICE officials who served during the Trump administration about their experiences and their thoughts about the future. Many . . . said the new president must find a way to correct the excesses of the past four years and restore public trust in the agency by revamping policies and tactics. But many also cautioned that it won’t be easy.”
Check out the report for new details.
Anita Kumar and Alice Miranda on Politico note the challenges to reversing the many Trump administration policy changes.
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