ICE Should Be Nothing More Than a ‘Fancy Uber Ride’ for Illegals – HotAir

I love it when a plan comes together.

As I write this post, the Texas state senate has already begun debate on the redistricting map passed by the lower chamber that would eliminate safe Democrat districts. One of those districts is currently represented by Jasmine Crockett, the outspoken progressive from TX-30 in Dallas and points south, which at D+25 is one of the safest House seats for Democrats.

Meanwhile, Crockett appears determined to prove the necessity for forcing her to compete in elections. Appearing on Gavin Newsom’s podcast yesterday, the two discussed immigration enforcement, which led to a very strange claim by Crockett while objecting to the enforcement of immigration law. According to the conversation, Crockett insisted that the only legitimate mission for Immigration and Customs Enforcement was simply transportation for illegal aliens. She told Newsom — who pointedly did not register any objection — that ICE is supposed to be “nothing but a ride“:

Jasmine Crockett says ICE is just supposed to be a “fancy uber driver for immigrants” pic.twitter.com/e2CVltMHC9

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 21, 2025

“ICE for the most part is nothing but a ride. That’s all they were supposed to do for the most part, right? It’s like, you know what? This person is undocumented or this person re-enters the country illegally, all the things, and then they have an ICE hold, and then ICE gets them so that they can then send them out. That’s all ICE is supposed to do, look at them as a fancy Uber driver for immigrants,” Crockett said.

The Texas lawmaker argued current ICE raids make the country look like a “joke.”

“Now they’re running into places, doing raids, and they’re falling all over each other, injuring each other. Like we are a joke, but it is a bad nightmare of a joke. And so I don’t think that this president has any limits that he won’t go to.” she said.

Ahem. Crockett is purportedly an attorney, and also a member of the House of Representatives, but appears to be completely unaware of the enabling statute for ICE operations. The statute exists in Title 8 (8 USC 1357), wherein any agency designated by the Attorney General for immigration enforcement can do, well, exactly what ICE is doing now:

(a) Powers without warrant

Any officer or employee of the Service authorized under regulations prescribed by the Attorney General shall have power without warrant-

(1) to interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United States;

(2) to arrest any alien who in his presence or view is entering or attempting to enter the United States in violation of any law or regulation made in pursuance of law regulating the admission, exclusion, expulsion, or removal of aliens, or to arrest any alien in the United States, if he has reason to believe that the alien so arrested is in the United States in violation of any such law or regulation and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained for his arrest, but the alien arrested shall be taken without unnecessary delay for examination before an officer of the Service having authority to examine aliens as to their right to enter or remain in the United States;

(3) within a reasonable distance from any external boundary of the United States, to board and search for aliens any vessel within the territorial waters of the United States and any railway car, aircraft, conveyance, or vehicle, and within a distance of twenty-five miles from any such external boundary to have access to private lands, but not dwellings, for the purpose of patrolling the border to prevent the illegal entry of aliens into the United States;

(4) to make arrests for felonies which have been committed and which are cognizable under any law of the United States regulating the admission, exclusion, expulsion, or removal of aliens, if he has reason to believe that the person so arrested is guilty of such felony and if there is likelihood of the person escaping before a warrant can be obtained for his arrest, but the person arrested shall be taken without unnecessary delay before the nearest available officer empowered to commit persons charged with offenses against the laws of the United States; and

(5) to make arrests-

(A) for any offense against the United States, if the offense is committed in the officer’s or employee’s presence, or

(B) for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States, if the officer or employee has reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such a felony,

if the officer or employee is performing duties relating to the enforcement of the immigration laws at the time of the arrest and if there is a likelihood of the person escaping before a warrant can be obtained for his arrest.

That’s a hell of a lot more than just ubering illegals to the border. Furthermore, an EO signed by Donald Trump immediately after his inauguration explicitly authorized ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and US Citizensship and Immigration Services to enforce immigration laws in accordance with 8 USC 1357. Bear in mind that 8 USC 1357 authorizes enforcement on and arrest of any illegal alien even without a warrant under (a)(2), not just those who may have committed felonies, under (a)(4 and 5). 

In other words, Crockett hasn’t the least idea of what she’s talking about. But even apart from (a)(2), who exactly has ICE arrested? Let’s just take a look at a partial list for this week, shall we?

• Thursday
  • Jose Luis Gonzalez-Montiel, a 39-year-old citizen of Mexico, convicted for intoxicated manslaughter in Bexar County, Texas. 
  • Viroth Phannavong, a 58-year-old criminal illegal alien from Laos, convicted of first degree child molestation in Providence, Rhode Island. 
  • Meljim Ramirez-Perez, a 40-year-old criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, convicted of continuous sex abuse of a child in Los Angeles.
  • Andre Etienne, a 35-year-old criminal illegal alien from Jamaica, convicted of child molestation in Conyers, Georgia. 
  • Zhiping Liu, a 45-year-old criminal illegal alien from China, convicted of theft by extortion in Brookville, Pennsylvania.
  • Harneet Singh, 25, an illegal alien from India, after an 18-wheeler he was a passenger in made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, causing a horrific crash leaving three dead. Harjinder Singh, Harneet’s brother and driver of the truck, now faces three counts of vehicular homicide.
• Wednesday
  • Jonatan Monzon-Olivares, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala with 38 prior arrests and 15 convictions, including sexual assault, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, possession of stolen property, and obstructing justice.
  • Pedro Carrillo-Miranda, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of a sex offense against a child – fondling.
  • Lloyd Tinashe HweHwe, a criminal illegal alien from Zimbabwe convicted of intoxicated manslaughter.
  • Trong Ho Luong, a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam convicted of manufacturing and delivering cocaine and MDMA.
  • Lamphay Syvongsa, a criminal illegal alien from Laos convicted of robbery with an imitation firearm, feloniously pointing a firearm, possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, and multiple traffic offenses.
• Tuesday
  • Alejandro Lima-Ramirez has a criminal history comprising of 24 arrests in California and Oregon, and 16 convictions including drug trafficking, robbery, fraud, and carrying a concealed weapon.
  • Armando Isaias Bermejo, a 42-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes a felony conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a minor in Bridgeton, New Jersey.
  •  Rufino Rodriguez-Calzada, a 48-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes a conviction for indecent liberties with a child in Sampson County, North Carolina.
  • Erasto Cruz, a 56-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes a conviction for sexual assault of child in San Jacinto County, Texas.
  • Jose Del Angel-Salazar, a 52-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes a conviction for first-degree rape in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Which of these would Crockett like released? Which of these does Crockett consider “a joke”? Which of these would Crockett provide an Uber ride?

I won’t hold my breath waiting for an answer from Crockett. However, if the Texas legislature does its job today, perhaps Crockett’s commentary won’t matter for too much longer. 

Editor’s note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.

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