Deputy White House Director Said ICE ‘Doesn’t Have to Exist’

The Biden White House’s new deputy director for political strategy and outreach encouraged people to “look up your nearest ICE office and shut-it-down” and said ICE “doesn’t have to exist” in 2018 tweets.

“If you’re looking for a way to help – look up your nearest ICE office and shut-it-down,” Natalie Montelongo wrote on Twitter on June 21, 2018, in response to a story about anti-ICE protests in Portland.

“This administration’s actions are not motivated by public safety concerns – they’re terrorizing immigrant communities. #ICE didn’t exist 15 years ago, it doesn’t have to exist now,” Montelongo wrote on Twitter on May 10, 2018.

Her comments came amid a far-left push to abolish ICE.

Montelongo previously worked in the Obama administration and as national political director for Julian Castro’s failed 2020 presidential bid. Castro’s campaign platform included decriminalizing illegal border crossings.

She was born in Harlingen, Texas, and grew up in the Mexican city of Matamoros. {snip}

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An ICE spokesperson recently said the agency deported just 2,962 illegal immigrants in April. The Washington Post, which first reported the figures, also reported that it was the first time the number had dipped below 3,000 and is 20% down from March – even amid a massive migration surge at the border that has overwhelmed authorities.

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