Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez has introduced legislation that would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security, abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, and replace them with a new Department of Community Safety. The proposal, detailed in a press release from the Illinois Democrat’s office, quickly drew widespread attention after Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin shared it on X. Many commenters criticized the measure as effectively ending federal screening at borders and ports of entry, while others highlighted Ramirez’s past description of herself as a “proud anchor baby.”
In a related video, Ramirez shared announcing the proposal; she states, “Today I am announcing that we are going to dismantle DHS, we’re going to reimagine community safety and that I have a bill to do just that.” She continues, “a bill that dismantles the Department of Homeland Security and yes, that means that we’re abolishing ICE, abolishing CBP,” and describes the new agency as one “whose mission is about collective safety and protecting everyday people, all people.” The footage shows her speaking directly to the camera and outlining the Reimagining Safety Act’s goals of redirecting resources and shifting immigration functions.
According to Ramirez’s office and the bill text referenced in the post, the legislation would establish a Department of Community Safety, preserve certain agencies such as FEMA, TSA, and CISA under new structures or transfers, abolish ICE and CBP, limit surveillance and militarized enforcement, and begin establishing a separate civil immigration system.
Melugin’s post notes that this would eliminate the agencies responsible for screening at ports of entry. Coverage from outlets including Fox News and Newsweek has also detailed the measure’s provisions and cosponsors such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib, while Ramirez’s press release frames it as a response to deaths in detention and other incidents.
How Viewers and Officials Are Reacting to the Proposal
Supporters among advocacy groups and local officials described the bill as a needed shift away from current enforcement practices. Guerline Jozef, executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, said it “offers an opportunity to fundamentally rethink a system that has caused enormous harm to immigrant communities. Safety cannot be achieved through fear. It must be grounded in dignity, due process, family unity, and the protection of human rights.”
Anna Rubin of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs stated, “We must dismantle DHS and create a new Department of Community Safety,” while Illinois State Rep. Norma Hernandez said she was “proud to stand alongside” Ramirez, adding that true public safety means communities where people can live without fear.
Critics from the administration and on social media focused on the elimination of enforcement agencies. A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that “America’s brave ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to enforce U.S. law and arrest criminal illegal aliens, including gang members, rapists, and murderers,” and that Ramirez “should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these dangerous criminals from her district, NOT vilifying law enforcement.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said, “Radical leftists are calling to defund the police and abolish DHS. It’s NEVER going to happen,” arguing the focus should remain on enforcement.
On X, some commenters focused on the practical effects of ending border screening while others highlighted Ramirez’s background. One wrote, “When you let a literal anchor baby get elected, this is what happens,” and another stated, “She’s a Guatemalan and a serious country would have deported her years ago.”
It remains unclear whether the legislation will advance beyond introduction. The post continues to circulate as part of an ongoing discussion about federal immigration enforcement and agency structures.
