Espaillat urges dismantling ICE during remarks at Hill Nation Summit

Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) used a Wednesday appearance at the second Hill Nation Summit to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be dismantled, telling NewsNation’s Libbey Dean that public attention on the agency reflected problems seen nationwide, not just in one location.

Speaking in Washington at the event, Espaillat said that what “everybody’s seen was happening across the nation,” adding, “not just Houston.” He made the remarks as part of an interview conducted during the summit, according to The Hill’s reporting.

The Hill identified Espaillat as the first immigrant who had previously lacked legal status to enter Congress. The story said he tied his call for dismantlement to the broader pattern of enforcement concerns that have drawn public scrutiny in recent years.

The comments mark the latest instance of Espaillat arguing for changes to federal immigration enforcement priorities. The Hill Nation Summit brings together members of Congress and other guests for policy and community-focused discussions, and Espaillat’s intervention centered specifically on ICE.

At the same time, ICE remains a functioning federal enforcement agency, and calls to “dismantle” it would, in practice, require changes to how immigration enforcement is organized and funded. Any such shift would typically involve action through Congress and executive-branch implementation, including decisions about responsibilities, authorities, and budgets across relevant agencies.

Espaillat’s remarks also highlight how the question of federal immigration enforcement has remained a central point of division within U.S. politics, with lawmakers and advocacy groups pressing for either expansion of enforcement or reductions and restructuring. His comments at a high-visibility congressional event add to that ongoing debate, while raising expectations for follow-on discussions about what a dismantling effort would look like legally and administratively.