A NICE response to the lawless ‘Abolish ICE’ movement
Hudson Crozier
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The National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE), a new nonprofit group, launched on Monday with a statement declaring that it would advocate “the proper enforcement of immigration laws in the interior of the United States.”
Led by policy experts and former Department of Homeland Security officials, NICE aims to lobby in favor of stricter border policies and counter what it calls the “vilification” of border personnel, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
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Its page of policy priorities includes the removal or prosecution of every single illegal immigrant, mandatory minimum sentences for repeated violators, the abolition of so-called sanctuary cities, promoting smooth collaboration between law enforcement agencies, and more.
It’s unfortunate that the U.S. government struggles so much in defending our national sovereignty that non-governmental assistance is needed. What’s even more unfortunate is that this goal is considered controversial, thanks to an extreme branch of leftist activism.
Last month, over 230 advocacy groups sent a letter telling President Joe Biden that detaining illegal immigrants at all is unacceptable, citing “human rights.” The most radical of these initiatives is the self-explanatory “Abolish ICE” movement, which NICE names as the leading enemy of effective border security.
Under the Biden administration’s lax policies, the U.S. saw more illegal border crossings in fiscal 2021 than any previous year on record, followed by an increase of over a million in the next fiscal year. In the first four months of 2023 alone, over a million have illegally entered the country, a population bigger than that of Delaware. State and federal officials’ most significant victory has been lowering the daily average from 10,000 to 4,400.
The leniency proposed by the Left is the last thing we need during this historic crisis. But many seem to think that just about any effective enforcement of immigration law is oppressive and must be thwarted.
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Due to this blind, anti-America ideology, border personnel putting themselves in danger are not only overwhelmed with their tasks but must also face immense hostility. This animus was on full display when the Biden administration promoted the now-debunked hoax that a border agent had been whipping immigrants on horseback, drawing comparisons to slavery and “systemic racism.”
It’s no wonder, then, that a recent DHS report found a significant decrease in morale among ICE and Border Patrol agents. The painful reality is that we need a counter-movement dedicated to supporting and uplifting them for what they do, a variation of the pro-police “Back the Blue” sentiment. Groups like NICE are a good start.
Hudson Crozier is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.