Amid a growing wave of protests and strong criticism of the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) launched a scathing attack against the federal agency and called for a “drastic overhaul” of its operations under President Donald Trump's administration. “ICE agents are the ones breaking the law, not peaceful protesters,” Van Hollen declared in an interview with Jonathan Karl on ABC News' This Week. "We shouldn't be funding a completely illegal ICE operation. Donald Trump promised to go after 'the worst of the worst,' but his own data shows otherwise." The legislator emphasized that, according to official ICE figures, approximately 80% of those detained nationwide posed no threat to public safety. “Instead of fixing that problem, they deleted the data so we can no longer see it,” he accused. The statements come after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a woman who died in Minneapolis at the hands of an ICE agent, an event that reignited public outrage and heightened tensions surrounding the immigration policy of Trump's second term. Protests, Insurrection Act, and Internal Review. Demonstrations in Minneapolis intensified after Good's death, while President Trump warned he could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty troops if the situation spiraled out of control. A day later, however, he softened his stance. “I don't think there's any reason right now to use it, but if I needed to, I would use it,” the president told reporters. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that her department had opened an internal review of the conduct of the officer involved in the shooting. Noem had initially suggested that the officer acted in self-defense. which generated even more criticism among Democratic leaders and civil rights advocates.

Van Hollen warned that further militarization would only exacerbate the crisis. "There are already about 3,000 ICE agents in Minneapolis and barely 600 local police officers. Invoking the Insurrection Act would be adding fuel to the fire,” he stated.

Democrats call for dismantling or reforming ICE

The criticism was not limited to Van Hollen. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) went further, suggesting that ICE should be “completely dismantled.” “It needs to be rebuilt according to what the people want: a law enforcement agency that goes after dangerous criminals and focuses on security, not a squad of thugs created by Stephen Miller and Donald Trump,” Gallego told CNN, while avoiding the topic of abolishing the agency, it was clear that he will not support further funding for its current operations. “I will not vote for a single penny to fund this significant illegal and brutal operation until there are reforms,” he said. Frey, has insisted that the protests have been largely peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has created the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: “We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights."They have insisted that the protests have been mostly peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has caused the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: "We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights."They have insisted that the protests have been mostly peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has caused the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: "We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights.”What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights."They have insisted that the protests have been mostly peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has caused the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: "We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights."They have insisted that the protests have been mostly peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has caused the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: "We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights.”What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights."They have insisted that the protests have been mostly peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has caused the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: "We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights."They have insisted that the protests have been mostly peaceful and that the massive presence of federal agents is what has caused the tense atmosphere. For Van Hollen, the debate is clear: "We all want border security and for violent criminals to face consequences. What we don't want is an out-of-control operation that violates people's constitutional rights.”