New York attorney general candidate vows to 'prosecute' ICE if elected, calls it 'tool of cruelty'

Henry Rodgers, DCNF

New York Democratic attorney general candidate Zephyr Teachout said she wants to prosecute U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency officials if elected.

Teachout, a professor at Fordham University, called for the abolishment of the agency in a video released Wednesday, saying she believes ICE “is a tool of cruelty, unconstitutional behavior, illegality.” Teachout is one of many Democratic candidates who have backed the “Abolish ICE” movement.

“As attorney general, I will continue to speak out against ICE. I will prosecute ICE for their criminal acts,” Teachout said. “We have stories of consistent abuse within ICE.”

WATCH:

‘[ICE] is a tool of cruelty, unconstitutional behavior, illegality.’ — Zephyr Teachout is promising to prosecute ICE if elected AG of New York pic.twitter.com/vooENW11Rp

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 2, 2018

Acting ICE Director Ronald Vitiello responded to Teachout’s comments in an interview on “Fox & Friends” Thursday. “ICE was designed in the aftermath of 9/11 to protect us all. That’s what the agents and the officers of ICE, and our attorneys and our mission support people, they’re out there every day protecting this country,” he said.

After Vitiello’s interview Teachout responded in a tweet. “I’m that ‘NY AG candidate’ and I will absolutely prosecute anyone who breaks the law under my jurisdiction. Including ICE agents. We have reports of rape, and people have died in ICE detention because they didn’t get adequate medical care,” she wrote.

Teachout faces three other candidates in the Sept. 13 primary election.

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