Republicans will hold a vote on abolishing ICE - forcing Democrats to show their hand

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• Republicans are gearing up to force a vote on the left wing of the Democratic Party's plan to abolish the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• The plan to hold a vote would be an attempt to make vulnerable Democrats show their hand on a controversial and fringe position important to the Democratic base.

WASHINGTON - Republicans are planning to hold a vote on a bill that would abolish the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a political attempt to force a number of Democrats to take a side on the hot button issue that is growing among the liberal base.

The Hill reported on Thursday that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will bring the bill, introduced by Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, to the floor for a vote.

Pocan and a group of other Democrats in the far-left Progressive Caucus put forth the Establishing a Humane Immigration Enforcement System Act on Thursday.

The bill and its supporters say that ICE has strayed from its original mission since its creation in 2003. The bill would establish a commission to establish "a humane immigration enforcement system that upholds the dignity of all individuals," according to a summary of the legislation.

"President Trump's blanket directive to round up and target all undocumented immigrants underscores the unchecked power which ICE has used to terrorize our communities," Pocan said in the statement. "From conducting raids at garden centers and meatpacking plants, to targeting families outside churches and schools, the President is using ICE as a mass-deportation force to rip apart the moral fabric of our nation.

"Sadly, President Trump has so misused ICE that the agency can no longer accomplish its goals effectively. As a result, the best path forward is this legislation, which would end ICE and transfer its critical functions to other executive agencies."

The move to push for a vote on the bill aimed at terminating ICE is in direct contrast with what House Speaker Paul Ryan has repeatedly hammered home - that he would not allow a vote on an immigration bill that President Donald Trump would not sign.

Despite the fact that the bill would most assuredly fail on the House floor, Trump would never sign such a thing. However, what a vote on abolishing ICE would do is create a dilemma for many Democrats. They would have to determine how to vote based on the mood of their constituencies, but risk angering either their party's leadership or the broader Democratic base.

Ryan called the plan "the craziest position I've ever seen" on Thursday while also reiterating his stance that any immigration bill would need the confidence and support of Trump.