Rex Huppke: Half of Americans now say ‘Abolish ICE.’ It’s about time

So it turns out Americans don’t love widespread cruelty.

For the first time in YouGov polling, 50% of Americans now strongly or somewhat support abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Only 39% of respondents strongly or somewhat oppose abolishing ICE and, in a remarkable twist, nearly a quarter of Republicans want ICE gone.

That’s a mighty big shift from the not-too-long-ago days when Democrats were warned that “Abolish ICE” was an electorally risky slogan best avoided.

Perhaps it’s the way roving bands of masked federal agents have descended onto American cities like invading forces, violently stuffing migrants and U.S. citizens into unmarked vehicles while gunning down innocent protesters and later falsely labeling them “domestic terrorists.” Maybe it’s the twisted, unapologetic way President Donald Trump and his vampire-the-other-vampires-avoid adviser Stephen Miller speak about the administration’s deportation surge, as if the rest of America shares their barbarism kink.

The YouGov report explained the drop in ICE support like this: “One factor is that many Americans distrust the agency. Only one-quarter (26%) of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in ICE. Nearly half (44%) say they have no confidence in ICE at all.”

A whopping 75% of Americans think ICE agents “should have to wear identifying uniforms,” and nearly 60% think masks should be forbidden.

ICE operates under the Department of Homeland Security, which was run by Kristi Noem until Thursday, who spent Tuesday getting yelled at by Democratic and even Republican lawmakers who think she’s doing a terrible job. (Spoiler alert: She is! And Trump must have agreed, since he fired her Thursday – though he said he’s moving her to a new role.)

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina railed at Noem during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, saying: “What we’ve seen is a disaster under your leadership, Ms. Noem. What we’ve seen is innocent people getting detained that it turns out are American citizens.”

Correct. That has happened many times. And it’s shameful, as is the behavior of Noem’s ICE goons and other federal agents whom Trump and Co. have dispatched in part to create violent images the administration can share with its bloodthirsty, anti-immigrant base.

They’ve all been quite cocky about this disturbing behavior, safely ensconced in bubbles where all they hear is, “This is great and popular, and it’s definitely what Americans want!”

That lie is getting harder to maintain, and the truth is bound to permeate those bubbles. When half the country is comfortable hoisting an “ABOLISH ICE!” sign, you’re not winning.

In the Tuesday primary elections, a seven-term Democratic state representative in North Carolina got demolished by her opponent. The reason? Soon-to-be-former Rep. Carla Cunningham voted with Republicans on a pro-ICE bill last summer, the only Democrat to do so.

Oops.

Trump’s anti-migrant terror campaign has angered everyone from the pope to, as previously mentioned, about a fourth of Republican voters. Do you know what it takes to make that many Republicans in the age of MAGA oppose something Trump supports? He could say he enjoys a quart of motor oil with his Wheaties and auto-parts stores in red states across the country would swiftly face a run on Valvoline.

Those of us appalled by all we’ve witnessed from ICE and other federal agencies over the past year should welcome this news. “Abolish ICE” is ascendant. It’s a strong message, and, frankly, a moral imperative.

Keep pushing. And shame anyone who supports what this administration has been doing. Cruelty doesn’t get to win.

Follow USA Today columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk