Post-2020 Anti-ICE Rhetoric among Democrats, Activists, and Media

How “Abolish ICE” Became a Progressive Battle Cry

After 2020, progressive Democrats and activists continued the “Abolish ICE” slogan that gained prominence during the Trump era. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) reaffirmed that “ICE… is a rogue agency that should not exist” (Spectrum News). Similarly, Rep. Ilhan Omar declared ICE agents “vile and beyond cruel,” explicitly insisting “the agency should be abolished” (Fox Baltimore). These officials argue that ICE (founded in 2003 under DHS) has overstepped its mandate and become unaccountable. Even as the Biden administration took office, left-wing protesters in Portland rallied on Inauguration Day 2021 carrying “Abolish ICE” banners outside an ICE facility (Reuters), signaling that the demand to dismantle ICE transcended the Trump years. Progressive groups like the Democratic Socialists of America have formally endorsed abolishing ICE, “reiterat[ing] our demand that ICE be abolished” as part of a broader immigrant justice agenda (DSA). The phrase “Abolish ICE,” though less ubiquitous in mainstream Democratic messaging by the mid-2020s, remained a rallying cry on the left – shorthand for a complete overhaul of immigration enforcement in favor of more humane approaches.

Democratic Leaders Compare ICE to Authoritarian Forces

Democratic politicians at both national and local levels have harshly criticized ICE’s tactics, often drawing historical analogies to emphasize their alarm. In 2024 and 2025, several Democratic governors and legislators used charged language likening ICE to authoritarian forces:

Governor Tim Walz’s “Gestapo” Comparison

Gov. Tim Walz (MN) smeared ICE as “the modern-day Gestapo,” claiming the agency tramples constitutional rights (Fox Baltimore). He later refused to apologize for the Nazi comparison, arguing that ICE was denying due process; Walz insisted “the Constitution is not an inconvenience” when pressed by Congress about his remark (Star Tribune).

Governor Gavin Newsom’s “Secret Police” Legislation

Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA) similarly likened ICE agents to “secret police” and called their behavior “authoritarian,” proclaiming that the public has a “right to push back” against ICE operations (Fox Baltimore). Newsom in 2025 signed a “No Secret Police Act” to ban ICE from conducting masked enforcement raids in California, condemning “ICE’s secret police tactics” under Trump’s “authoritarian regime” and “terror campaign” (California State Senate). He argued “no one wants masked [federal] officers… kidnapping people with impunity” in their communities.

Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Nazi Germany Warning

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (IL) warned that America was becoming “Nazi Germany” because “ICE [is] grabbing people off the street and disappearing them” (Fox Baltimore). Pritzker’s rhetoric came amid Illinois’ push for sanctuary laws; he painted ICE’s presence as so draconian that it evoked the experiences of a police state.

Congressional Representatives Echo Extremist Comparisons

Members of Congress also echoed these comparisons. Rep. John Larson (CT) flatly said “ICE is the SS and the Gestapo,” invoking Nazi secret police to describe ICE agents (Fox Baltimore). Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA) similarly denounced ICE agents as “the Gestapo” and “nondescript thugs” in how they conduct raids. Rep. Dan Goldman (NY) argued that armed ICE or DHS agents operating without identification are akin to “secret police” and must be “unmasked” to ensure accountability.

Portraying ICE as a Rogue Agency Terrorizing Communities

Democratic officials have also described ICE as a rogue, lawless agency that terrorizes communities. For example, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI) labeled ICE a “rogue agency” that is “terrorizing our communities” and “turning our country into a fascist police state” (Fox Baltimore). Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA) likewise said ICE is “terrorizing our communities” and called its enforcement actions fundamentally unjust.

When defending Gov. Walz’s ICE–Gestapo analogy in a congressional hearing, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez argued that if an agency “walks like a duck and talks like a duck, maybe it’s a duck,” thanking Walz for having the courage to speak out (Star Tribune). Such rhetoric underscores a theme among progressives: portraying ICE as an out-of-control force that operates with brutality comparable to history’s most infamous authoritarian enforcers.

Left-Wing Activist Campaigns and Direct Actions Against ICE

Left-wing activists and immigrant-rights groups have been at the forefront of anti-ICE protests and direct actions in the post-2020 period. Their rhetoric often paints ICE as an inherently oppressive or illegitimate institution:

“Occupy ICE” Encampments and Facility Blockades

Activists have physically demonstrated against ICE by blocking detention center entrances and even camping outside ICE offices. In Portland, for instance, anarchist and anti-fascist protesters continued months of unrest targeting ICE’s presence – they repeatedly rallied at the ICE field office, at times clashing with federal officers. On January 20, 2021 (the day of President Biden’s inauguration), protesters marched under a banner reading “We don’t want Biden – we want revenge,” and gathered outside the Portland ICE building to demand its abolition (Reuters).

Federal agents used crowd-control munitions as protesters with shields and umbrellas chanted to “abolish ICE”. This scene illustrated that anti-ICE fervor among the activist left persisted even after the Trump era, with Biden’s administration viewed as not going far enough to dismantle what they see as a “terror force” in immigrant communities.

“Never Again” and Concentration Camp Analogies

Progressive activists (including Jewish-led groups like Never Again Action) have repeatedly referred to ICE detention centers as “concentration camps,” invoking Holocaust imagery to condemn the treatment of migrants. This rhetoric, which AOC herself ignited in 2019, continued to influence protests post-2020. Demonstrators held signs like “Close the Camps” and “Never Again Is Now,” equating ICE detention facilities for asylum seekers with the moral horror of wartime camps. Such language is deliberately provocative, aiming to shock the public into seeing ICE enforcement as systematic cruelty.

For instance, former MSNBC host Tiffany Cross (now a progressive commentator) declared on CNN that the government is “kidnapping [immigrant] people and transporting them to concentration camps,” warning that “we are normalizing a government agency disappearing people” (Fox News). This reflects how activist rhetoric often suggests ICE operates as a clandestine, oppressive force akin to a totalitarian regime’s apparatus. (Cross’s comments were condemned by critics as “dangerous rhetoric that inspires violence”, but they encapsulate the extreme messaging some on the left use to galvanize opposition to ICE.)

Grassroots Community Defense Networks

Across various cities, immigrant-rights organizers formed rapid response networks to alert neighbors of ICE raids (often using the slogan “ICE out of [Our City]!”). They characterize ICE agents as predatory – activists have called them “terrorizing agents” or even likened them to slave catchers. In one noted example, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX) publicly compared ICE to “slave patrols”, suggesting ICE plays a role analogous to enforcers of racist laws (Fox Baltimore). Activists echo this historical resonance in protests, chanting that “No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA” to link ICE to racist violence. Campaigns such as “Abolish ICE NY,” “Fire ICE,” or local sanctuary ordinances all work to undermine ICE’s ability to operate by cutting off cooperation and funding.

In Chicago, newly elected Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order forbidding city police from aiding ICE or any federal immigration crackdown (WTTW News), asserting that ICE functions as “secret police… terrorizing our communities”. This kind of local action, born from activist pressure, treats ICE as a hostile force to be resisted and de-legitimized at every level.

Media Narratives Amplifying Anti-ICE Sentiment

Left-leaning media outlets and commentators have frequently highlighted stories that cast ICE in a highly negative light, contributing to broader public skepticism of the agency. Progressive media narratives often focus on alleged abuses, scandals, and harsh enforcement by ICE, reinforcing the idea that the agency is brutal and un-American:

Depicting ICE Operations as Cruel and Lawless

Liberal commentators regularly cite incidents of ICE mistakenly detaining U.S. citizens, splitting families, or deporting non-criminal immigrants to dangerous countries. For example, media coverage underscored cases like an ICE “administrative error” that deported a young man to El Salvador where his life was at risk (YouGov). Outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, The Nation, and others amplified footage of distraught children in detention and reports of inhumane conditions (overcrowding, lack of medical care, etc.).

By 2021, it was common to hear mainstream news anchors describe ICE raids as “sweeping up hardworking families” and to question the necessity of the agency’s existence. Some opinion writers explicitly argued that “ICE operates with a culture of impunity and racism,” essentially asserting that it cannot be reformed. These narratives serve to undermine public trust in ICE’s mission by portraying virtually all its actions as heavy-handed or driven by xenophobia.

Highlighting Propaganda and Misinformation Incidents

Interestingly, even debunked stories have fed anti-ICE sentiment. In mid-2025, for instance, a Los Angeles woman staged a hoax “ICE kidnapping” – falsely claiming undercover ICE agents abducted her in an unmarked van. Local activists and politicians (including L.A. Mayor Karen Bass) amplified the tale, with Bass summarizing the supposed incident as “No hearing. Just fear,” implying ICE simply disappears people without due process (FAIR). When federal prosecutors revealed the abduction was faked for donations, they blasted this “dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants… peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous agents” (Los Angeles Times).

The incident, widely covered in media, reinforced a narrative (even if based on a lie) that ICE operates like a shadowy kidnapping squad. Similarly, California’s Governor Newsom and legislature passed the “No Secret Police” law requiring ICE agents to show identification partly in response to viral media stories of masked ICE officers snatching people off the streets (California State Senate). In these ways, media reports – whether accurate accounts of abuses or sensationalized stories – have contributed to an image of ICE as unaccountable and menacing, fueling calls for resistance.

Opinion Pieces and Editorial Stances

Prominent left-leaning publications have run headlines like “Abolish ICE – and Don’t Stop There” or “ICE is beyond redemption.” The Vox media network noted that by 2019 and beyond, “Americans [were] growing more negative on ICE” and that parts of the Democratic base yearned for leaders to take a harder line against ICE (Vox). Progressive columnists often tie ICE to former President Trump’s legacy, referring to it as “Trump’s deportation force” or “the frontline of Trump’s cruelty.”

Even under President Biden, left commentators criticized continued deportations or detention of migrants, sometimes accusing Biden of failing to rein in ICE. For example, when ICE under Biden deported a 19-year-old college student with no criminal record, AOC and Rep. Adriano Espaillat decried it as an “abduction,” with the young man’s father likening the ICE agents’ actions to a kidnapping (Spectrum News). Such coverage in progressive media and social media keeps alive the perception that ICE agents routinely violate human rights, giving the public intellectual justification to view ICE as not just flawed but fundamentally illegitimate.

How Anti-ICE Rhetoric Shaped Public Opinion and Behavior

This sustained rhetoric from Democratic leaders, activists, and media has measurably shifted public opinion and behaviors regarding ICE in recent years. Polling data and public reactions post-2020 indicate a growing skepticism of ICE, especially among liberals and younger Americans:

Negative Favorability and Trust Ratings

Surveys show that ICE’s public image deteriorated significantly after the family separation crisis and has remained low among many Americans. By mid-2025, polling found 53% of Americans disapproved of ICE’s job performance (vs only 39% approving) (YouGov). Importantly, this opinion is extremely polarized: 85% of Democrats and 62% of independents disapproved of ICE, while 79% of Republicans approved. In other words, the vast majority of left-leaning Americans now view ICE negatively – a stark change from the mid-2000s when immigration enforcement wasn’t as partisan an issue.

Pew Research notes that views of ICE are “deeply polarized” along party lines, unlike agencies such as the Postal Service or NASA which both parties broadly favor (Pew Research Center). This suggests that the Democratic base has largely embraced their leaders’ critical stance on ICE, seeing it as a problematic agency. Polls also indicate rising support for proposals to abolish or radically restructure ICE: one analysis observed that there is “even rising public support for abolishing the agency altogether” by 2025 (UC Irvine).

Perceptions of Misconduct and Overreach

Thanks in part to the narratives highlighted above, many Americans believe ICE regularly oversteps. Half of Americans (52%) say ICE’s tactics are too forceful and over-militarized (YouGov). A striking 84% of Democrats believe ICE often wrongfully arrests U.S. citizens or lawful residents who haven’t violated any laws.

Majorities of independents agree that wrongful arrests and excessive force occur frequently. Three-quarters of Democrats say they personally worry that someone they know could be mistreated or abused by ICE – a telling reflection of the fear instilled by years of hearing that ICE “terrorizes” communities. These perceptions reflect the success of anti-ICE rhetoric in framing the agency as abusive and indiscriminate, leading many to view ICE agents with distrust or even fear.

Public Support for Resistance and Non-Cooperation

The combative rhetoric has translated into support for concrete opposition to ICE. About 48% of Americans overall now approve of protests against ICE’s actions, while only 39% disapprove (YouGov). Among Democrats, a huge 76% favor anti-ICE protests and civil resistance to ICE operations. We see this in practice through the proliferation of “sanctuary” policies – for example, liberal cities and states passing laws to bar local police from honoring ICE detention requests or sharing data. These policies often came with public statements that characterized cooperation with ICE as immoral.

For instance, Illinois stopped ICE from using state detention facilities, with sponsors calling ICE detention “inhumane.” In California, local officials openly defied federal ICE raids; one state lawmaker said “California will continue to stand for… basic freedoms” against “masked, unidentified [ICE] agents snatching people off our sidewalks” (California State Senate). Such moves have been popular in Democratic strongholds, suggesting the rhetoric convinced residents that undermining ICE is a civic duty to protect neighbors from injustice.

Extreme Outcomes: Harassment and Violence Against ICE Personnel

More alarmingly, the vilification of ICE may have contributed to real hostility and even attacks on ICE personnel. ICE and DHS officials have warned that demonizing the agency as “Gestapo” or “Nazis” could incite unstable individuals to violence (Star Tribune). There have indeed been incidents: assaults on ICE officers surged by about 1000% in recent years, according to one White House report (Fox Baltimore). In 2019, a Washington state man attacked an ICE detention center with firebombs and a rifle, leaving behind a manifesto decrying “concentration camps” – an episode seen as directly inspired by anti-ICE propaganda.

In September 2025, a gunman in Dallas opened fire on an ICE field office, attempting to ambush agents. Notably, investigators found the shooter had “ANTI-ICE” scrawled on his rifle ammunition (Fox Baltimore). He wounded several immigrant detainees (killing one) before taking his own life. Federal officials cited this as the “deadly consequences of [the] unhinged crusade against ICE” in which politicians “spent years vilifying ICE as ‘fascists,’ ‘Gestapo,’ and ‘slave patrols,’ inciting… a wave of radical Left terror”.

“ANTI-ICE” was even etched on bullets used by a gunman who attacked an ICE office in Dallas, underscoring how extreme rhetoric can translate into violence. While only a fringe few resort to such terrorism, ICE agents have reported a spike in everyday harassment – being called “Nazis” or “kidnappers” by some members of the public, facing doxxing campaigns to expose their identities, and encountering local hostility. A former acting ICE director warned in 2020 that “the rhetoric has to stop… people are losing their lives” as anger against ICE boils over (Facebook/Fox News).

Conclusion: The Impact of Post-2020 Anti-ICE Rhetoric

Since 2020, anti-ICE rhetoric from Democratic officials, left-wing activists, and sympathetic media has remained fervent, driven by outrage at immigration enforcement practices. Through public speeches, protests, legislation, and media narratives, ICE has been characterized as a heinous agency that operates outside American values – a “terror force” to be resisted or even abolished. This consistent drumbeat of criticism has had tangible effects: it energizes protest movements, shapes policy (e.g. sanctuary laws, funding cuts), and influences public opinion to view ICE with suspicion or contempt. However, it has also raised concerns about demonization gone too far – potentially endangering ICE personnel and undermining the rule of law.

Whether one views this rhetoric as a righteous call for justice or as demagogic “propaganda,” its impact is evident. Public attitudes toward ICE have turned sharply negative in many quarters (YouGov), and a substantial segment of Americans (especially on the left) now question the very legitimacy of ICE’s mission. In sum, post-2020 anti-ICE rhetoric – from comparing agents to Gestapo to urging people to “fight in the streets” – has powerfully shaped the national conversation on immigration enforcement, ensuring that ICE’s role remains one of the most polarizing issues in American politics today.

Sources

• Reuters – Coverage of post-2020 protests and “Abolish ICE” rallies (reuters.com); “Anti-fascist protesters vandalize buildings in Portland…”, Jan 21, 2021.
• Spectrum News – “White House attacks AOC over calls to end ICE…” (analysis of AOC’s stance and Dem rhetoric) (spectrumlocalnews.com).
• Fox Baltimore (AP/The National Desk) – “‘Unhinged crusade’: White House names nearly 30 officials as ICE agitators” (compendium of quotes) (foxbaltimore.com).
• Star Tribune – “Walz defends … remarks” (Walz calling ICE “Gestapo” and hearing fallout) (startribune.com).
• California State Senate PR – “Gov. Newsom Signs ‘No Secret Police Act'” (Wiener’s statement likening ICE to an authoritarian “terror campaign”) (sd11.senate.ca.gov).
• Fox News – “Ex-MSNBC host … comparing centers to concentration camps” (Tiffany Cross on “disappearing people”) (foxnews.com).
• Los Angeles Times – “L.A. woman faked ICE ‘kidnapping’ for donations” (U.S. Attorney on “dangerous rhetoric… ‘kidnapping’ … echoed in media”) (latimes.com).
• University of California Irvine – “ICE’s popularity is plunging” (public opinion trends and polling data) (socsci.uci.edu).
• YouGov – “Majorities of Americans disapprove of ICE…” (detailed 2025 poll: partisan splits, 76% Dems approve protests, etc.) (today.yougov.com).
• Pew Research Center – “Views of ICE are deeply polarized” (pewresearch.org).
• Reuters/Independent – Coverage of ICE raids, protests, and public responses (today.yougov.com).