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The killing of two Americans by federal agents has sparked bipartisan responses to the Trump administration's immigration policies. It's led some Democrats who hope to win elections this year to bring back a slogan. The slogan is abolish ICE. Does that work politically? NPR's Ximena Bustillo reports that not all Democrats think it does.
XIMENA BUSTILLO, BYLINE: Melat Kiros is running to represent Colorado's 1st Congressional District. It's a seat currently held by Representative Diana DeGette, another Democrat. And Kiros told NPR she sees a key issue rising to the top.
MELAT KIROS: I think abolishing ICE is certainly going to be the one that is really galvanizing a lot of folks.
BUSTILLO: Kiros is among a crop of Democratic candidates calling for the abolishment of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. That's the federal agency tasked with carrying out President Trump's mass deportation agenda. It has sparked controversy for tactics like breaking car windows, wearing unidentifiable uniforms and the shooting of Minneapolis resident Renée Macklin Good.
KIROS: This is not a training or reform issue. This is an issue where this agency is beyond reform. It has to be dismantled and stopped in its tracks before another innocent person's life is taken by them.
BUSTILLO: Jonathan Cowan, president of the centrist think tank Third Way, says the message to abolish ICE may not work in districts where Democrats are trying to challenge Republicans.
JONATHAN COWAN: The divide in the Democratic Party is not over rage, disgust and anger. The divide is, what are you going to do about it? How do you channel that rage in a way that actually changes policy?
BUSTILLO: The debate over abolishing ICE is poised to be especially salient in Democratic primaries and in states that have faced increased enforcement, such as Minnesota, Illinois, California and New York. Justice Democrats is a progressive organization backing several candidates who want to abolish ICE. Here's spokesperson Usamah Andrabi.
USAMAH ANDRABI: The bare minimum voters deserve is a choice.
BUSTILLO: But even if it's not fully calling for the agency to be abolished, Democrats want to make immigration their issue. Some want more targeted reforms like body cameras for all ICE officers. Others have embraced terms like defund and reform. Back in Colorado, Kiros' opponent, DeGette, is calling for ICE to be dismantled. Democrats' efforts to reclaim the issue will be put to the test as the midterms draw closer.
Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.
INSKEEP: She co-reported that story with NPR's Elena Moore. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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