OAKLAND, CA – Monday, The Oakland City Council passed Councilmember Kaplan’s Resolution calling on Congress to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency.
ICE was recently created in 2003, under the Bush Administration, to prevent acts of terrorism and criminal activity. However, ICE’s work has dramatically shifted from its mission of preventing terrorism, to carrying out detention and deportation activities as its core focus. For example, nearly 60% of ICE’s $7.1 billion budget goes to detention and removal operations, focusing on individuals who are being punished simply for illegal entry, have no other criminal history and pose no threat to national security.
Councilmember Kaplan says: “ICE’S actions have had ramifications in our own backyard. ICE came into West Oakland and tore apart a family while falsely slandering them – claiming it was a criminal case – when they were filing a civil deportation action and no criminal charges.
We’ve now experienced enough of ICE telling lies, ripping apart families, and leaving guns loose where they get into the hands of murderers and spreading racism. It’s time to say ENOUGH to ICE – and I’m thrilled my colleagues voted to pass my Resolution urging the United States Congress to abolish ICE once and for all.”