Tennessee Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn deflected when asked whether she supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an interview with CNN on Sunday.
“I’ve got 48 hours to flip this congressional district, and have been dogged about the message of affordability, and that’s not what I’m hearing in the district,” Behn, a state representative, said before switching topic to rural healthcare.
Behn is running in Tuesday’s special election in the state’s Seventh Congressional District against Republican Matt Van Epps. Rep. Mark Green’s (R) resignation in July created the vacancy that this special election will fill. President Donald Trump and Green both won the district with roughly 60% of the vote in 2024.
CNN’s Manu Raju outright asked her whether ICE should be abolished, noting that it’s a stance Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has, who is expected to campaign with Behn in a tele-rally on Monday, according to the outlet.
Behn was also asked whether ICE should cease its operations in Nashville, parts of which she represents in the state legislature. The Democrat said she’s been hearing from people in her district, particularly the Hispanic community, that they are concerned about “the overreach of our federal government.”
In a May video, the Democrat said, “We’ve got our girl squad, and we’re bullying the ICE vehicles and State Troopers,” which has since been used in advertisements against Behn.
The Daily Wire reported that she’s made previous comments that were highly critical of law enforcement and also called for abolishing prisons multiple times.
“On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation,” Behn said in a deleted post from last year.
“No, I do not agree with these ‘tough-on-crime’ policies,” she told The Tennessean in August 2024. “As a legislator who believes in prison abolition, I am committed to addressing the root causes of crime rather than implementing punitive measures that often perpetuate a cycle of harm.”
In 2020, Behn posted on social media, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,” which has led to scrutiny throughout the campaign.
“I’m not gonna engage in cable news talking points,” Behn told MS Now when asked if she still agreed with her comments made at the time.
Behn has had Vice President Kamala Harris and other major Democrats campaign for her. Van Epps held a rally with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Monday, and Trump called in to make his case for the Republican.
“Number one, she hates Christianity,” Trump said on the call to the audience. “Number two, she hates Country Music. How the HELL can you elect a person like that?!”
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