Full Breakdown
Rep. Delia Ramirez Proposes Dismantling DHS
By Drooid · · How we work
Legislative Proposal
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) announced she will introduce the Reimagining Safety Act on Tuesday. The bill would repeal “duplicative and overreaching terrorism laws,” eliminate the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and replace it with a new Department of Community Safety. Under the plan, the Department of Justice would assume immigration-enforcement authority, the Department of Transportation would take over the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard, and the Treasury Department would handle customs enforcement. Functions such as the “no-fly list” would be limited to cases with a criminal conviction or warrant, and the secretary of state’s power to designate “foreign terrorist” organizations would be removed.
Context and Recent Incidents
The proposal follows a series of high-profile incidents that critics say illustrate DHS’s expanding reach. Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) home in what the Justice Department called an “opaque federal criminal investigation.” Earlier, an ICE agent shot 28-year-old Oscar Belgal in the neck in New York City, endangering his 5-year-old child. Belgal was the latest of at least 25 people shot by federal immigration agents in the past year, with six of those shootings fatal. According to the National Immigration Project, at least 28 people have died in ICE custody this year. DHS, created in 2003 under President George W. Bush, has been cited by civil-liberties groups as a source of broad surveillance and policing powers.
Official Statements & Responses
Ramirez framed the bill as a response to what she described as a “weaponized” DHS.
- “Just this week, our communities were reminded that DHS is a weapon: pointed at a father shot in front of his 5-year-old and at Congresswoman Omar, who is using her voice to demand an end to fascism,” — Rep. Delia Ramirez
- “Every person dead in detention, everyone shot or killed by ICE and CBP, every neighbor deported to a third country, every family separated, every community FEMA failed,” — Rep. Delia Ramirez
The Justice Department characterized the raid as part of a “federal criminal investigation.”
Data & Statistics
- 25+ people shot by ICE agents in the past year; 6 fatalities.
- 28 deaths in ICE custody reported for the current year.
- DHS has existed for 23 years (since 2003).
What’s Next
Congress is in recess until after the November elections, so the earliest a vote could occur is November 9 (scheduled). With Republicans retaining the majority and only a small number of Democrats publicly supporting the abolition of ICE—or DHS—the legislation faces long odds of passage this session.