U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans challenges ICE on arrest focus
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U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Fort Lupton. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Colorado U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Fort Lupton) tells Axios he's urging ICE to deprioritize arresting immigrants who aren't suspected or convicted of any crimes.
Why it matters: His position demonstrates how some Republicans are walking a tightrope between a full-throated backing of President Trump's signature policy and attempting to set guardrails on his administration's immigration policy.
What they're saying: "If criminals are not the priority, and other people become the priority, this is just not good decision making," Evans tells us.
- Evans still supports Trump's overall plan to deport undocumented immigrants in U.S. with criminal backgrounds.
The latest: The president reversed course this week on a recent suggestion to pause immigration raids for industries, including agriculture — a key economic engine and a core part of daily life for many in the 8th Congressional District Evans represents.
State of play: The freshman congressman has not received a response from ICE about reconsidering its broadened immigration strategy after submitting, alongside five fellow House Republicans last week, questions to acting agency director Todd Lyons.
- The group raised concerns about ICE using limited resources — the agency is running out of money — to target immigrants who aren't a "threat to public safety."
- The Republicans gave ICE a June 30 response deadline. The agency on Tuesday did not respond to a request for comment from Axios about the letter.
Reality check: ICE detention statistics show people booked with only immigration-related violations — those without known criminal charges or convictions — rose more than 800% between January and June, Reuters reported.
- ICE arrests of people with criminal charges or convictions rose by 91% during the same span.
Stunning stat: Trump aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem seek to arrest 3,000 people a day — triple the number of daily arrests during the early days of the president's second term, Axios Brittany Gibson and Stef W. Kight write.
- Evans specifically wants ICE to target the roughly 660,000 estimated people with criminal histories on the agency's docket, per its July 2024 estimate.
What's next: He tells Axios Denver he wants to pave a pathway for lawful status for some undocumented people working in specific industries, especially "if the only bad thing that they've ever done was illegally coming to the United States 18 years ago."