INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Congressman Andre Carson said ICE as it exists today should be abolished and replaced if significant reforms cannot be made. The Indiana Democrat’s comments came during an interview with News 8 for All INdiana Politics. He said he’s disappointed and disheartened by footage of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. He said the shooting, along with other recent shootings including that of Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier in the month, speak to overreach and a lack of respect for the Constitution and the law among those carrying out immigration enforcement actions. President Donald Trump has replaced the Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino with his border czar, former ICE director Tom Homan, as the on-the-ground commander in Minneapolis in response to the shooting. Carson said he is not confident this will lead to any meaningful changes. “I think what we’re seeing right now is, Secretary Noem and others refusing to issue the kind of reformation that is needed,” he said. “When reformation doesn’t work, elimination must happen.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, was one of the agencies formed with the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. It took over the enforcement, detention and removal functions of the old Immigration and Naturalization Service. ICE’s two primary enforcement arms are Enforcement and Removal Operations, or ERO, and Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI. The Trump administration’s recent immigration raids have used a mix of ICE and Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officers. Carson said ICE “as we know it” should be eliminated and replaced with something else. He said reforms have to include feedback from people who are concerned about the way ICE carries out its functions. “I think eliminating ICE as we know it, it doesn’t mean elimination of immigration law,” he said. “But it does mean a call for humane enforcement. ICE can and did function in a humane way, years ago, particularly under President Obama. There were deportations but it was done with due process, without killing citizens, without harassing citizens, that was never their mandate.” Carson is one of more than 150 House Democrats who have signed on to articles of impeachment against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. He said Noem has not shown the kind of administrative capability needed to run DHS effectively or that lawmakers should have expected given her background as governor of South Dakota. Carson said Noem has only enabled directives from President Donald Trump that violate the U.S. Constitution. Indiana House Republicans are showing their support for ICE and DHS. “ICE is a legitimate federal law enforcement agency, and calls to abolish it are reckless and dangerous. The White House has confirmed it is actively working with Minnesota state and local leaders to ensure current operations are safe and fully by the book. ICE and CBP officers are operating in an incredibly challenging environment. These law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law. I stand with them and with President Trump’s commitment to public safety and strong immigration enforcement.”Rep. Erin HouchinR-Indiana “ICE and local law enforcement are working hand-in-hand to protect Hoosier communities. ICE has taken criminals off the street throughout the country despite some localities willingly choosing to make their job more difficult. I stand with ICE leadership, agents, and officers as they work to make America safer.”Rep. Marlin StutzmanR-Indiana In a post on X earlier this week, Congressman Jim Baird said he supported ICE while lamenting Pretti’s death. “I support the brave men and women of ICE who are putting their lives at risk every day to deport violent criminal illegal immigrants. Leaders need to end the demonization of and violence against our ICE agents. I am saddened by what happened in Minnesota over the weekend. It is a tragedy, and I trust that law enforcement will conduct an investigation thoroughly to uncover the truth. I believe President Trump and Tom Homan can work with Governor Walz to resolve this situation in a way that upholds our immigration laws and adequately protects the safety of American citizens.”Rep. Jim BairdR-Indiana All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV. ...read more read less