Democratic Sen. Klobuchar stops short of joining 'Abolish ICE' movement

July 1, 2018July 1, 2018 Kevin

ABC News(NEW YORK) — Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota stopped short of joining some fellow Democrats in calling for the abolishment of ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying that immigration policies instead need to change.

The Democratic senator was asked by ABC News’ This Week Co-Anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday about the growing calls to disband the agency.

“Do you think ICE should be abolished?” Raddatz asked.

“I think what has to change are the policies. And the people that are making these policies are making horrendous decisions like separating kids from their parents,” Klobuchar said. “We are always going to need immigration enforcement, Martha. We know that. We are a major country with major borders.”

Klobuchar’s remarks are different from those of some other Democrats, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren, who have called for either abolishing or replacing ICE in the wake of widespread criticism over its enforcement of Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policies.

The Minnesota senator said on This Week that what’s needed is comprehensive immigration reform that would provide “order” at the nation’s borders while also giving some undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.

“We passed a bill out of the Senate that not only involved order at the border and funding that; it also involved a path to citizenship for people who obey the law, for people who learn to speak English, for people who are part of this country for decades. And that’s what I think we need,” Klobuchar said.