Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez has introduced legislation that would disband Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol while seeking to “dismantle” the Department of Homeland Security. The sweeping Democratic proposal arrives [1] ahead of the midterm elections.
Ramirez, described as a radical Democrat from Illinois, labeled the proposal the Reimagining Safety Act. The measure targets major parts of the federal immigration enforcement system and calls for an entirely new cabinet department to take their place.
The proposed cabinet agency would be called the “Department of Community Safety.” Ramirez promoted the legislation as a “first-of-its-kind bill,” though her press release did not elaborate on what the new department would entail or how it would operate.
That omission leaves the central feature of the legislation largely unexplained in the announcement. The bill would remove established immigration enforcement agencies while offering few details in the press release about the structure and responsibilities of the proposed replacement.
The legislation also promises to “reinvest funds in our communities.” The announcement does not provide additional details about which communities would receive those funds, how the money would be distributed, or which existing federal resources would be redirected.
Another stated goal is to “curb militarized enforcement.” The press release places that pledge alongside the proposed elimination of ICE and Border Patrol, making a broad challenge to the current federal approach to immigration enforcement.
The bill further seeks to “begin the process of establishing a separate civil immigration system.” The language signals another major proposed change, but the press release does not elaborate on what that separate system would include.
NEW: Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) has just introduced her new legislation that would completely dismantle DHS, abolish ICE, and replace it with the “Department of Community Safety”. The bill would also abolish CBP, which means getting rid of Border Patrol & customs officers at ports of entry at land borders, airports, and sea ports. This would result in completely open borders with no federal agency left to screen or detain people coming into the country both legally and illegally.
Details on the “Reimagining Safety Act” from Rep. Ramirez’s press release:
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 13, 2026 [2]
Taken together, the promises amount to a push for dismantling key federal immigration institutions and replacing them with a new cabinet department. Yet the description provided by Ramirez leaves major questions about that department unanswered.
Several House Democrats have joined Ramirez as sponsors of the legislation. They include Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Adelita Grijalva, and Jim McGovern, placing multiple Democratic lawmakers behind the effort to disband ICE and Border Patrol.
The proposal has also received an endorsement from the Chicago chapter of CAIR. The broader organization has been designated as a terror organization by some Republican governors.
The bill was originally announced on September 23. Its emergence ahead of the midterm elections puts the Democratic proposal before voters as the party’s lawmakers promote a dramatic restructuring of federal immigration enforcement.
Ramirez’s legislation does not merely call for changes within ICE or Border Patrol. It seeks to disband both agencies and “dismantle” the department that currently houses major federal responsibilities connected to immigration and border operations.
The creation of the proposed “Department of Community Safety” is presented as the alternative. However, the press release does not explain what specific duties the new cabinet department would assume after ICE, Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security were dismantled.
The promises to redirect funding, curb enforcement, and create a separate civil immigration system provide the broad outline of the bill. They do not, based on the release described, supply a detailed account of how those changes would be implemented.
With Ramirez leading the effort and Tlaib, Grijalva, and McGovern joining as sponsors, the measure gives Democrats ownership of an explicit congressional proposal to abolish two major immigration enforcement agencies. Its September 23 announcement ensures that the proposal is now part of the debate ahead of the midterm elections.