When a leading Michigan Senate contender promises to “tear down” a federal immigration agency he calls a paramilitary threat, it raises the stakes far beyond one primary race and straight into the fight over who really controls government power in America.

Story Snapshot

• Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is running for U.S. Senate on an explicit promise to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), not just reform it.
• He argues ICE has become an unconstitutional “paramilitary force” that cannot be fixed and must be replaced with a new civil immigration system.^[1][2][3]
• Republicans frame his stance as dangerous extremism that would gut border enforcement and public safety.^[4]
• The clash reflects a deeper bipartisan fear that federal power is being abused, whether by heavy‑handed agents or unaccountable political elites.

El-Sayed’s Core Argument: ICE Is ‘Irredeemable’

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has made abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a defining plank of his 2026 campaign, insisting the agency is “irredeemable” and cannot be saved by retraining or internal reforms.^[1][2][3] His campaign site declares that ICE is on a “murderous trajectory” and argues that continued support for the agency is driven by “political cowardice” rather than public safety.^[1] He portrays his stance as a moral line separating him from more cautious Democrats who stop at calling for oversight.^[1]

El-Sayed grounds his abolition demand in recent deadly ICE-involved shootings, citing the killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti as evidence that the agency is endangering the public it claims to protect.^[1][2] He describes ICE as a “paramilitary force” deployed on American streets, asserting that it now represents a threat to “our constitutional order” instead of a tool to uphold it.^[1] According to his own statements, “abolishing this agency is the only safe path forward” after years of what he calls systemic abuses.^[1]

How He Says Immigration Enforcement Should Work Instead

Rather than treating him as “open borders,” El-Sayed’s materials stress that he supports border security and “comprehensive immigration reform,” but insists those goals can be met without ICE in its current form.^[1][3] He argues that immigration enforcement should be rebuilt from scratch around civil, not militarized, processes and must operate clearly within constitutional limits.^[1][3] In rallies, he links this to a broader progressive agenda that includes tuition-free higher education and rethinking federal spending priorities he considers “useless.”^[2]

At campus events, El-Sayed frames ICE’s creation after September 11 as part of an overgrown security apparatus that now blurs the line between policing and war.^[2][3] He tells audiences that immigration enforcement can be handled by a new agency or restructured departments that focus on due process rather than raids and street-level operations.^[1][3] He also leans heavily on his family’s immigrant history, arguing that current enforcement practices “try to end the idea of immigration” itself, not just manage who comes and goes.

Critics See Dangerous Naivety, Not Reform

Conservative media and Republican operatives have seized on El-Sayed’s “abolish ICE” slogan as proof that national Democrats are moving toward dismantling federal immigration enforcement altogether, especially under a Trump administration that has prioritized border control.^[4] Fox News coverage highlights his call to abolish ICE alongside support for defunding police, painting a picture of a candidate who wants to weaken law enforcement institutions across the board.^[4] Opponents warn that eliminating ICE would gut investigations into cross-border crime and undermine national security.

Reporters and rivals also attack El-Sayed’s credibility, pointing to questions about his use of the title “physician” even though he has never held a medical license in Michigan or New York.^[4] A Fox News investigation notes that public records show no completed residency or independent medical practice, despite campaign rhetoric emphasizing his doctor status.^[4] Critics argue that if he is overstating his professional background, voters should be skeptical when he labels an entire federal agency “corrupted at its soul.”^[3][4]

A Flashpoint in the Larger Fight Over Federal Power

The El-Sayed–ICE fight plugs into a larger national debate over how much force the federal government should wield inside its own borders, and against whom.^[1][3] Since Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created in 2003, opponents on the left have periodically pushed “abolish ICE” as a rallying cry, while defenders insist the agency is an essential part of the homeland security system built after the September 11 attacks.^[3] That tug-of-war has intensified as Americans across the spectrum lose faith in federal institutions they increasingly view as unaccountable.

This Michigan Democratic Senate Candidate Made It Very Clear His Party Will Abolish ICE https://t.co/mOlLeKA6F3

— Jeff Szych (@SzychJeff) May 28, 2026

For conservatives angry about lawless borders and for liberals angry about heavy-handed raids and detentions, the core worry is similar: powerful agencies act first and answer questions later. El-Sayed’s promise to “tear down” ICE speaks directly to voters who believe Washington has allowed a security bureaucracy to operate with too little transparency.^[1][3] Yet the absence of a detailed replacement plan keeps many others wary that abolishing an agency without clear guardrails could simply shift power, not tame it.

Sources:

[1] Web – This Michigan Democratic Senate Candidate Made It Very Clear His Party …

[2] YouTube – ‘Abolish ICE’: MI Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Calls Agency ‘ …

[3] Web – Abolish ICE: join the pledge! – Sway.co

[4] YouTube – Libertarian Governor Candidate Vows to ABOLISH ICE …