Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 7 July 2018
Pence rips Democrats on immigration, defends ICE

By KEN THOMAS leaders must stop," Pence ICE has come under fire
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice said. The dispute over from Democratic Sens.
President Mike Pence on the federal agency has Kirsten Gillibrand of New
Friday accused Demo- emerged as a political fault York and Elizabeth War-
crats of making opposition line after the Trump admin- ren of Massachusetts and
to the federal immigration istration began separating New York City Mayor Bill
agency central to their migrant children from their de Blasio, all of whom were
party, calling for an end to parents after they crossed named by Pence as seek-
"spurious attacks" on U.S. the U.S.-Mexico border, ing the abolition of the
Immigration and Customs leading to nationwide pro- agency. The three Demo-
Enforcement. tests last weekend. Trump crats are among a large
In an address at ICE head- has made border security field of potential 2020 chal-
quarters infused with elec- a focus of his message as lengers to Trump.
toral politics, Pence noted he aims to prevent a Dem- While some Democrats
that some prominent Dem- ocratic takeover of Con- in the House and Senate
ocrats had called for the gress in the November mid- have raised the prospect
abolition of the agency term elections. of eliminating ICE, no top
charged with detaining Pence made no mention of Democrats in the House
and deporting migrants en- Vice President Mike Pence speaks at U.S. Immigration and the Trump administration's or Senate have called for
tering the country illegally. Customs Enforcement (ICE), at ICE headquarters, Friday, July 6, "zero tolerance" policy or such a move. Gillibrand
He said President Donald 2018, in Washington. the caring for unaccom- has said ICE is not "working
Trump would fully support Associated Press panied children, who are as intended" and pushed
immigration enforcement overseen by the Depart- for separating the criminal
agents and warned that been speaking out against members of the Democrat- ment of Health and Human justice aspect of the agen-
the abolition of ICE would ICE. The truth is that opposi- ic Party, including candi- Services. As the vice presi- cy from immigration issues.
lead to more illegal immi- tion of ICE has moved to the dates for higher office, are dent was greeting ICE em- Responding to Pence's
gration, human trafficking, center of the Democratic actually openly advocat- ployees after the speech, speech, she tweeted that
violent crime and the pro- Party itself," Pence said in a ing the abolition of ICE." he did not respond to a immigration "is a strength
liferation of drugs and "vi- speech to ICE employees. "The American people shouted question from a re- of America. Our country
cious gangs." "Just when you thought the have the right to their opin- porter asking if separating needs a new agency that
"It isn't just the expression Democrats couldn't move ions, but these spurious at- children "was a Christian works, and it needs biparti-
of the radical left that has farther to the left, leading tacks on ICE by our political thing to do." san immigration reform."q