Democratic infighting ignites over surge of anti-ICE anger

• Reps. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) clashed during a closed-door Democratic leadership meeting Tuesday over Kelly's efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
• Kelly, a Steering Committee co-chair running in a competitive primary for U.S. Senate, argued that her effort fires up the base, sources said. Lee, the battleground representative to leadership, shot back that an impeachment vote would hurt Democrats in swing districts.

Driving the news: Kelly is not the only one trying to take action.

• Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) is introducing a bill called the Quick Recognition Act that would require ICE agents to wear scannable QR codes on their uniforms linking to webpages with their names, badge numbers and other information, his office told Axios.
• Democrats are also trying to use the appropriations process to implement policy changes that would constrain ICE.
• Some progressives want to go even further, as Axios reported Monday, and refuse to vote to fund the government ahead of the Jan. 31 fiscal cliff unless ICE's funding is slashed.

What they're saying: Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill this week telling Axios they got an earful from constituents back in their districts about the Minneapolis shooting.

• "There were a number of protests about it, very concerned about the lawless nature of what ICE is doing," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), adding that the issue is "at the top of the list of continued incoming to our office."
• "We've gotten calls, letters, people coming up to me, people texting me ... telling me how upset they are about it," said Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.).
• Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) told Axios that ICE is "incredibly unpopular" in her district and that the issue is "high salience."

What we're hearing: The topic came up during House Democrats' full caucus meeting Tuesday morning, according to lawmakers who were in the room, but only after leadership spent the first portion of the meeting focused squarely on issues like health care and affordability.

• Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) were given time to speak about a field hearing they are holding in Minneapolis on Friday about the Renee Good shooting, which leadership has encouraged members to attend, sources said.
• But there was only muted discussion about issues like ICE funding and no talk of impeachment, several lawmakers said.

• One House Democrat told Axios that, despite the ICE issue "popping up because of what just happened," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has been "masterful" at keeping the caucus as focused as possible on affordability and not sidetracked by "shiny objects."

The intrigue: While efforts to slash funding for ICE or impeach Noem are extreme long shots, some reform to the agency may be very much be on the table.

• Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees DHS, said his panel was "down to a few issues" in its negotiations on a bill to fund the department when the Renee Good shooting happened.
• The incident meant "that we have to come up with additional language" to "provide oversight" of the agency, he said.
• However, the centrist Texas Democrat shut down progressives' musings about going any further: "We're not going to defund ICE."

The bottom line: For some members, issues like ICE will simply never break through enough take precedence over kitchen table economic issues.

• "It adds to the larger narrative of chaos and concern for this administration," said Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), but ICE "has never been a top three issue" in his district.
• "Right now, it's: The economy, affordability and health care."