Full Breakdown
Rep. Delia Ramirez Introduces Bill to Dismantle DHS and Abolish ICE
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Proposal: The “Reimagining Safety Act”
Illinois Representative Delia Ramirez introduced legislation that would eliminate the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and replace it with a new Department of Community Safety. The bill calls for the complete abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the release of all detained immigrants within six months. It would end major detention authorities, terminate contracts with private detention facilities, and ban future spending on immigration detention and monitoring programs, including the existing ankle-monitor system. Agency functions would be reassigned: FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would move to the new department; the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard would shift to the Department of Transportation; customs duties would go to the Treasury; and immigration enforcement would be transferred to the Department of Justice. Construction of the border wall and the Border Patrol’s integrated surveillance tower program would be halted.
Background & Context
The Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003 after the 2001 attacks to consolidate federal security functions. Recent high-profile incidents—an ICE-agent shooting of Oscar Belgal in the Bronx and a Homeland Security Investigations raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home—have intensified criticism of DHS’s role in immigration enforcement. Advocacy groups and progressive lawmakers have called for sweeping reforms, and Ramirez’s bill arrives amid a midterm election cycle in which immigration remains a top voter concern.
Data & Statistics
- At least 25 people have been shot by ICE agents in the past year, six of those shootings were fatal.
- 28 people have reportedly died in ICE custody this year.
- A DHS spokesperson claimed a 1,300 % increase in assaults against ICE agents.
- The bill would release all detained immigrants within six months and end the ankle-monitor program for all currently monitored individuals.
Official Statements & Responses
Ramirez framed the legislation as a “revolutionary act” to replace what she described as a “weapon” with a department focused on community safety, public-health-backed violence-intervention programs, and support services for asylum seekers at the border. She argued that dismantling DHS is essential to protect civil liberties and address systemic abuse of immigration authority.
Timeline
- Tuesday (no specific date provided): Ramirez formally introduced the Reimagining Safety Act.
- Upcoming: The earliest possible House vote, pending the end of the current congressional recess.
Why It Matters / Impact
If enacted, the bill would fundamentally reshape federal immigration enforcement, shifting border-related duties to existing departments and creating a new agency centered on community-based safety measures. The proposal is likely to intensify partisan debate ahead of the midterms, as Republicans emphasize border security while Democrats grapple with internal divisions over the scope of immigration reform.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The claim of a 1,300 % increase in assaults against ICE agents originates from a DHS spokesperson and has not been corroborated by independent data. Other quantitative claims—such as the number of people shot by ICE agents and deaths in ICE custody—are consistently reported across multiple outlets, but broader assessments of the bill’s fiscal impact and operational feasibility remain unaddressed.