Many people (not Democrats) have called for the abolition of ICE for years, and for many reasons. It’s refreshing to see some Democrats pick up the call. But I would guess that the reasons for wanting to abolish it and the proposed solutions vary.
Many of us see ICE as an organization that terrorizes the domestic population, destroys families, and makes everyone less safe. And we don’t wish to see the duties of these thugs shifted to just another agency. Calls for the abolition of ICE are part of a larger effort to stop the war against immigrant communities in general. The existence of ICE and their behavior is not compatible with a democratic and just society.
But I suspect some people who call for the abolition of ICE are co-opting the language in order to win votes, but merely want to rebrand ICE thugs and have them absorbed into another agency, so they can continue to terrorize the population.
Anyway, it is worth pointing out that ICE was formed in 2003 during the Bush.