Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, has defended her remarks about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, comparing the tactics of its agents to those of slave patrols who disciplined runaway enslaved Black people in the South during the 1700s and 1800s.

What did Crockett say about ICE and its nationwide deportation tactics?

In an interview with The Grio, Crockett said Black Americans must keep their history at the forefront, noting that some of the most painful chapters of the past are being echoed in different ways today.

“I know that they don’t want us to know our history in this country at this point, but I think it is important for us to see ourselves in what is happening,” the U.S. Senate candidate told the outlet, noting that the Trump administration’s ICE operations against immigrants are also a threat to Black communities nationwide.

She continued, “When we saw what took place in Chicago, or even when we look at Minneapolis … ICE went into a Black community, was pulling Black babies out, and that kind of stuff. It is important for us to focus on what actually unites us than what divides us.”

“I think that that’s what went wrong in the last election [in 2024] … we allowed ourselves to be divided. And so while some people get up in arms with the language, don’t get up in arms with the language, know the history,” the U.S. congresswoman added.

Crockett on maintaining history: ‘If we don’t, we’re doomed to repeat it’

Crockett also addressed how ICE’s nationwide deportation tactics have affected individuals born and raised in the United States, adding that understanding history can serve as a vital tool for awareness.

“If we allow for this history to play out again against any group of people, it is only a matter of time before it also gets to us. And frankly, we see that. We see that it’s expanded beyond just the immigrant community, right? And so, I think for me, drawing those parallels brings in more people and hopefully gets more people to understand why it is important for us to know our history. Because if we don’t, we’re doomed to repeat it. And frankly, right now, this country is repeating it.”

The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, particularly in Democratic-led cities, has faced ongoing criticism following the January shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Could ICE lose its funding?

In January, some Democrats refused to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which operates several departments, including ICE, unless reforms were put in place to monitor the agency’s power. Requested reforms included prohibiting agents from entering homes without a warrant, prohibiting agents from wearing face masks and restricting agents from conducting operations in certain areas, among other proposals. While several Democrats sided with Republicans on a budget to fund the agency, more opposed the bill following Pretti’s death, per Blavity and The Grio.

If a deal is not reached soon, funding for the Department of Homeland Security will expire, placing federal law enforcement and national security agencies, including ICE, FEMA, TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard, at risk.

Crockett said there should be no funding for ICE and that the federal agency, which was launched in 2003 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, needs to be gutted and replaced with another agency.

“I think that we need to scrap it, and we need to come up with something that actually meets not only the moment, but meets the definition of what they are supposed to be doing,” Crockett said of ICE.