What is ‘Abolish ICE Act’ that Indian-origin US lawmaker Shri Thanedar has introduced?

Anger over the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) aggressive tactics has grown in the United States after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis last week. Amid rising controversy over the killing and the ongoing crackdown against residents in the city in Minnesota, Indian-origin US Congressman Shri Thanedar has introduced the ‘Abolish ICE Act’ in a push to dismantle the agency. Thanedar has also called the federal law enforcement agency “beyond reform.”

After announcing the move on January 9, two days after Good was killed, Thanedar’s office officially began the process for the bill on Thursday (January 15). The Ways and Means Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Judiciary Committee will now examine it, according to a report in Hindustan Times (HT).

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What is the Abolish ICE Act? 

According to Congressman Shri Thanedar’s official website, the Abolish ICE Act calls for the dismantling of “ICE and end its current enforcement authority”. The bill states that harsh deportation tactics should be replaced with fairer, law-based approaches.

The Act also states that federal agencies handled immigration enforcement before ICE was established in 2003, and that immigration duties could be reassigned to other federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security. Once enacted, it calls for the agency to be formally dissolved within 90 days, as per media reports.

“Since ICE’s establishment in 2003, they’ve prioritised aggressive enforcement and violence rather than due process. Americans are being terrorised. Last year, I introduced legislation to end qualified immunity for ICE agents, ensuring they are held accountable when they break the law," said Thanedar, on his official website.

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“But the killing of Renee Nicole Good proved that ICE is out of control and beyond reform. We must fundamentally change the way we approach immigration: it’s time to abolish ICE,” he added.

Thanedar also explained why this ICE abolition act is the need of the hour. According to him, the federal law enforcement agency is not acting as an organisation bound by the rule of law since President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem took office.

“ICE has been weaponised to inflict terror and hysteria amongst American immigrant and non-immigrant communities. ICE has been deployed to major cities across the United States, and aggressive enforcement policies have brought fear to Americans,” his official website noted.

Speaking at the press conference on Wednesday (January 14), Thanedar asserted. “We need to make ICE go away. We don’t need murderers. We do not need this paramilitary organisation’s members on our streets terrorising US citizens and immigrants alike,” he was quoted as saying by The Times of India (TOI).

The Indian-born US lawmaker is also backing the impeachment of Noem.

According to a Financial Express report, on Wednesday (January 14), Thanedar released a statement saying, “Secretary Kristi Noem has lied to Congress and to the American people. Under her leadership, ICE agents have wreaked havoc on communities across this country. She has disgraced our democracy.” He said Noem should “face the consequences and be impeached.”

How Thanedar has outraged MAGA  

Thanedar’s call to ‘abolish ICE’ quickly drew massive outrage from Trump allies and supporters. Some Maga (Make America Great Again) commentators mocked Thanedar by questioning his English skills and targeting his heritage.

One of the commentators, Nick Sortor, wrote on X: “Indian Rep. Shri Thanedar, who can barely even speak English, announces he’s introducing a bill to ABOLISH ICE. Tell this foreigner to go pound sand. REAL Americans back ICE and ICE’s mission. And honestly, I’d back ICE deporting this loser, too.”

🚨 JUST IN: Indian Rep. Shri Thanedar, who can barely even speak English, announces he’s introducing a bill to ABOLISH ICE

Tell this foreigner to go pound sand

REAL Americans back ICE and ICE’s mission

And honestly, I’d back ICE deporting this loser too pic.twitter.com/Smhop7hfrb

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 14, 2026

Another Trump supporter, Eric Daugherty, wrote in an X post: “Conservatives are demanding the expulsion and DEPORTATION of Indian Rep. Shri Thanedar (D) after he just announced legislation to ABOLISH ICE. The dude can barely speak our freaking language while pulling this stunt. SEND HIM BACK!”

🚨 JUST IN: Indian Rep. Shri Thanedar, who can barely even speak English, announces he’s introducing a bill to ABOLISH ICE

Tell this foreigner to go pound sand

REAL Americans back ICE and ICE’s mission

And honestly, I’d back ICE deporting this loser too pic.twitter.com/Smhop7hfrb

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 14, 2026

However, the Indian-origin lawmaker also found some support. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna backed Thanedar’s push to abolish ICE. “We should not be giving money for an increase in the ICE budget. We should be fighting this,” he told The Hill.

Slamming ICE as an “occupying force,” Ilhan Omar, who represents the district where Good was shot, said ICE is conducting itself in “lawless” fashion.

A poll by the Economist/YouGov released Tuesday (January 13) showed that 46 per cent favoured ending ICE, while 43 per cent oppose the idea, the report noted.

How Thanedar has been a long-time Trump critic 

This is not the first time Thanedar has spoken against the Trump administration. Last April, he introduced seven impeachment articles against the US president. However, he stepped back a month later.

During a December 2025 hearing, Thanedar also accused Noem of “lying to the American people”.

Thanedar also voiced his support for the H-1B visa programme and advocated for increasing legal immigration in America. He came under fire for speaking about the H-1B visa issue at a bipartisan hearing on AI last year. During the hearing, Thanedar criticised Trump 2.0, saying, “Trump’s second term has been all about hatred for immigrants, but the reality is that the tech sector is heavily dependent on skilled immigrants.”

In December last year, he also filed articles of impeachment against US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, reported CBS News.

President Donald Trump called the Michigan Congressman a “lunatic” at a public event.

Who is Shri Thanedar?

Born in Karnataka, Thanedar moved to the United States in 1979. He pursued his PhD in chemistry at the University of Akron and became a US citizen in 1988. Thanedar subsequently established a successful pharmaceutical company in Michigan, reports the American Bazaar.
In 2018, Thanedar unsuccessfully entered the race for the Democratic primary for Michigan’s governor’s post. Two years later, he became a member of the Michigan State House. In the 2022 US midterm elections, he successfully ran for the 13th Congressional District of Michigan and became the fifth Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives.

Thanedar is the first desi politician to be elected from the state of Michigan.

With inputs from agencies