President Trump took up a staunch position in defense of ICE, making it a key part of his remarks at Wednesday night’s Salute to Service dinner in West Virginia.
Calling them “tough cookies” and “incredible people,” Trump compared their job at times to that of an army in wartime “liberating a town” and noted that many people have no concept of how difficult and important of a role they play in keeping Americans safe. (RELATED: ‘Zero Chance’ — Trump Hits Back At Calls To Abolish ICE)
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“We respect ICE,” Trump said. “ICE is the one. These are tough people and you have to be tough and when they have a problem with MS-13 gangs and all of these others that came in through these horrible and weak immigration laws that we are strengthening up.”
“But when these people come into our country and come in illegally and then they disperse throughout the country and all of a sudden you see nests of MS-13. You know, it’s like you’re liberating towns,” said the president. “These guys, they walk into those areas, they take them out of there so fast. They’re not afraid of anything.”
“And then I hear Democrats saying ‘we want to abandon ICE,'” he concluded. “We want to abandon — we are not abandoning ICE and we are not abandoning our law enforcement. Just the opposite.” (RELATED: Tucker Tells America ‘What Exactly Would Happen If The Left Killed ICE’)