NYC ‘Democratic Socialists’ Want To Abolish ICE, Profit

On Saturday, thousands of leftists, apparently unaware that the Trump Administration reversed an order separating children from their illegal immigrant parents while their parents awaited an asylum hearing at the United States-Mexico border, gathered in major cities to decry immigration enforcement.

But some leftists went further than others. While most protesters simply called to “abolish ICE” — the agency responsible for executing America’s immigration laws, as well as its laws against human and drug trafficking — the New York Democratic Socialists of America called upon their fellow countrymen to “abolish profit” (and prisons, and “cash bail” and, for good measure, all borders).

Abolish profit
Abolish prisons
Abolish cash bail
Abolish borders#AbolishICE pic.twitter.com/TCFIZqzJrU

— New York City DSA (@nycDSA) June 29, 2018

The request is . . . fascinating . . . if only because a socialist organization, which actively agitates for the greater involvement of the state in policing individuals lives, thus curbing most freedoms — which would necessarily involve instituting an incredible, complex, overbearing police state — is calling for the abolition of a particular enforcement agency they don’t quite like.

Beyond that, though, the request seems at odds both with the Democratic Party’s stated position on the issue — that they support border enforcement, just not the current agency enforcing rules at the border — and with, frankly, reality.

Twitter was quick to notice:

They haven’t thought that far ahead.

— Add your name (@corrcomm) June 30, 2018

It’s interesting to think about how impossible it would be to abolish profit without a level of police state authoritarianism that would make even their caricature of ICE seem like mall cops. https://t.co/5OnVyKTO3b

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) June 30, 2018

Others were quick to point out that DSA’s priorities seemed counterproductive.

Why do you need to abolish cash bail and prisons? If you don’t have anywhere to imprison criminals, what are they paying any bail for?

— Zach Zaerr (@CzarZaerr) June 30, 2018

The New York Democratic Socialists are proud of their position, however, perhaps because those positions are echoed by prominent New York politicians, including NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and newly-chosen Democratic Congressional candidate, self-described “Socialist,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.