The letters section of the New York Times is a fascinating insight into the state of liberalism, just as Kremlinologists used to study closely who stood where during military parades to figure out the state of affairs in the Soviet Union.

Liberals who support abolishing ICE justify their radicalism by saying they want a new agency to go after only the "truly criminal" illegal aliens and presumably leave the rest alone.  Of course, what is defined as "truly criminal" will probably be pretty narrow, and by dismantling the force that deports most illegal aliens who make it past the border, this effectively is mostly an open borders policy.
What is most interesting about the letters to the Times is that many liberals fear, correctly, that this will drive voters into the arms of Republicans, and Trump, in 2018 and 2020.

John California

I am a lifelong Democrat. Never voted for a Republican in my life. Though I despise Trump, as dimwitted and mendacious as he largely is, I think he has his finger on the pulse of the majority of American voters' attitudes towards illegal aliens. The image he pushes is that illegal aliens take jobs and pay little into social services, while putting undue burden on social services and eroding the traditional American culture, willingly ignoring our laws. Whether or not his caricature is true, he is gaining support throughout the nation coast to coast with this caricature.

Democrats are going to play Trump's game--watch his support grow--if they are going to push this anti-ICE agenda. More fodder for his "Democrats want open borders" lie. Abolishing ICE is a losing cause outside outside of immigrant (often non-voting) communities. 

Phyliss Dalmatian

Wichita, Kansas

Lifelong Dem, here. " Abolish ICE " is a recipe for disaster, and electoral defeat. 

John D San Diego

Oh, please. This is not a "progressive rallying cry," it's a beginner's guide to self-immolation.

Shenoa United States

The Left are doing a mighty fine job influencing us moderate liberals to vote Republican in November...for the first time in our adult lives. Bravo.

J CA

When the state of California started giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants a few years ago, I stopped being a Democrat. When Governor Brown declared California a "sanctuary state" last year, I became a Republican. I don't like most Republican policies but will vote that way from now on unless the Democrats come to their senses.

This is why liberals call for policies that in effect would create open borders but don't actually call for open borders.  They realize that for now, it is a bridge too far and that the American public has not yet been propagandized sufficiently to accept it.  But the far left is in no mood to wait, and I think leftists' calls to abolish ICE may hand us the elections in 2018 and 2020.  It's a smart issue for Trump to keep emphasizing, as he has.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.