Democrats Debate Whether Abolishing ICE Could Hurt at the Polls: 'Get to the Business of Winning Races'

People attend a vigil and celebration of life for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican construction worker who was fatally shot during a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, in Houston, Texas, on August 7, 2026. The son of a Mexican man fatally shot by US immigration officials in Texas demanded an investigation, with a leading civil rights group calling it a "possible murder." Lorenzo Salgado was killed by an ICE officer in Houston, Texas, early on July 7, marking the first fatal shooting involving US immigration officers since two January killings in the northern city of Minneapolis that drew national headlines. (Credit: Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)

Democrats approved competing resolutions to abolish and reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the weekend, highlighting an internal debate over how far the party should go in opposing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown without alienating voters ahead of the midterm elections.

The Democratic National Committee approved both nonbinding measures at its summer meeting in Austin, Texas, according to The Associated Press. One calls on congressional Democrats to abolish ICE and wind down the immigration detention system, while the other advocates "concrete reforms." The resolutions do not alter the party's official platform, which will be established at the 2028 Democratic National Convention.

ICE badge Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Yvonne Reeves-Chong, a DNC member who opposed the abolition measure, argued that it could appeal to one segment of the Democratic base while drawing opposition elsewhere. "I would strongly suggest we get to the business of winning races so we can make the policies that make a difference," she told the AP.

Louisiana DNC member Michele Johnson, who proposed abolishing ICE, argued that Democrats risk losing voters' trust by appearing overly cautious.

"We sound focus group tested, we sound poll tested because we're worried about saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing," Johnson said, urging the party to "just stand on business, like take a position."

The abolition resolution cleared the DNC's Resolutions Committee 25-12 before both proposals were ultimately approved as part of a larger package. It calls for ending workplace raids and arrests at locations including courthouses, schools and houses of worship, as well as terminating contracts with private detention providers.

The Washington Times reported that concerns over the word "abolish" included comparisons to the "defund the police" debate that Republicans used against Democrats following the 2020 protests. Colorado DNC member Stephanie Beal, however, argued that stronger language could build trust with Democratic voters.

DNC Chairman Ken Martin said Democrats remain united in opposing current immigration enforcement regardless of their preferred approach to ICE. "What ICE is doing right now — and CBP and the federal government — should stop," Martin told the AP. "There has to be a better way."