Scoop: Rahm Emanuel announces plan to divert ICE money to community colleges
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Rahm Emanuel speaks at a Democratic fish fry in Des Moines in September. Photo: Lily Smith/The Des Moines Register
Rahm Emanuel wants to shift billions of dollars from building new ICE facilities to funding community colleges — arguing they'll become more critical as AI disrupts the job market.
Why it matters: It's Emanuel's latest attempt to get ahead of other potential 2028 candidates with early policy proposals, especially on AI, tech and education.
Driving the news: Emanuel — former mayor of Chicago, White House chief of staff, House Democratic Caucus chair and U.S. ambassador to Japan — is proposing to take 20% of the $38.3 billion the Trump administration plans to spend on ICE detention centers and divert it to community colleges.
- "The priority for Americans should be education, not detention," Emanuel wrote.
- "As the explosive growth of artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt the job market, the nation's more than 1,000 community colleges — located in every region of the nation — can and will play a central role in preparing Americans for successful middle-class jobs," he added.
Emanuel will highlight the plan later this week on ABC's "The View" and with four college stops in South Carolina — historically a key state in the Democratic presidential primary.
- Emanuel will visit Spartanburg Community College, USC Upstate, Wofford College and Claflin University.
Between the lines: Ahead of an expected 2028 White House run, Emanuel — who is out of office — has been rolling out a brisk cadence of policy proposals to try to frame the debate early.
- Emanuel has proposed banning social media for anyone under 16, blocking all federal employees and their family members from betting on prediction markets, and mandating that all federal officeholders across all three branches of government retire at age 75.
- Emanuel, 66, is betting he can carve his own lane early, while other potential contenders are still running for reelection or focused on their day jobs.
Democrats have long called for expanding federal government spending on community colleges. Former President Biden called for a $90 billion plan to make it free.
- Emanuel believes education will be a critical issue in 2028 because of the rise of AI, and learning setbacks in the aftermath of COVID.
Zoom out: Emanuel's proposal is largely based on what he did with community colleges as mayor of Chicago.
- That includes expanding the ability for high schoolers to earn college credits, making community college free for students who do well in high school, and providing funds to campuses that create specialized programs for key regional industries.
Emanuel also wants local businesses to be more involved in community colleges.
- "As part of this system, each community college should have a board of local and regional employers who work with them every step of the way in preparing students for good-paying jobs," Emanuel wrote.
- "These employers should be partners in designing curricula and offering students opportunities to earn as they learn."
Go deeper: Read Emanuel's proposal.
