The midterm elections handed Democrats a sweeping victory. But underneath the champagne toasts and victory laps, something ugly is festering. A fresh battalion of Democratic Socialists of America members is storming into Congress with one demand above all others: abolish ICE. They’ve got the seats now, and they’re not shy about it.
Here’s the thing, though. Not every Democrat got the memo. While the party’s socialist wing gears up to gut immigration enforcement, some of their own colleagues – the ones who actually live near the border – want no part of it. And the brewing collision makes Republican internal squabbles look downright quaint by comparison.
From Fox News:
A longtime Democratic House member representing a southern border district said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not going anywhere as “Abolish ICE” became a rallying cry for more than a dozen progressive Democrats elected or reelected in the midterms.
While the elections brought a new class of Democratic Socialists of America members to Congress, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, told Fox News Digital that they make up just “one part of the spectrum” and that there are many “blue dogs” like himself who value strong border and immigration policies.
A border Democrat breaks ranks
Cuellar isn’t just grumbling quietly in the hallway. He’s about to become chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. Translation: he’ll control ICE’s wallet. And he’s not mincing words about where he stands.
“I don’t believe in defunding ICE and I think the majority of the Democrats do not believe defunding ICE,” Cuellar told Fox News Digital.
Even more striking? His blunt indictment of his own party’s recent history. “We just can’t open up the border and just say anybody that wants to claim asylum can come to the borders,” he said. “That policy under Biden administration – I hope that every Democrat running for national office doesn’t do that anymore.”
That’s not a Republican operative on cable news. That’s a twelve-term Texas Democrat who just steamrolled his opponent by over 36 points. Border voters clearly agree with him.
A party tearing itself apart
Now zoom out. Six Democratic governors have signed laws blocking cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Meanwhile, Cuellar voted alongside Republicans for the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to vote. He’s even drawn public praise from President Trump.
The progressive wing demands abolished agencies and sanctuary everything. The moderates want enforcement with guardrails. These aren’t minor policy disagreements you hash out over coffee. They’re fundamentally incompatible visions of American sovereignty.
The gap between the Democrat Party’s socialist insurgents and its border-state moderates dwarfs anything the GOP is dealing with internally. It’s not even close.
When a senior Democrat who literally controls ICE’s budget publicly torches his own party’s border record, the fracture is structural. As DSA freshmen settle into their new offices and Cuellar grips the appropriations gavel, this war within the Democrat Party is only accelerating. Worth watching closely.
Key Takeaways
- A senior Texas Democrat publicly rejects his party’s push to defund ICE.
- The Democratic split on immigration dwarfs any internal GOP disagreement.
- Cuellar will chair the subcommittee controlling ICE’s budget – and he won’t bend.
- Even border Democrats now admit Biden’s open-border approach was a failure.
Sources: Fox News, Washington Examiner
