Far-left Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), a member of the progressive “Squad,” is facing backlash after comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to the Ku Klux Klan.
During a recent interview, Pressley accused federal immigration officers of carrying out what she described as a “campaign of terror.”
Pressley has repeatedly accused ICE agents of being “racist.”
“In the same way that the KKK cannot be reformed, another, you know, masked militia group, I do not believe that ICE can be reformed and that this has anything to do with training and protocols,” Pressley said.
The remarks drew swift criticism from Republicans.
RNC Research, the official X account of the Republican National Committee, responded with an all-caps post calling Pressley “UNHINGED.”
The post included a clip of Pressley’s remarks.
WATCH:
UNHINGED
Democrat Ayanna Pressley compares ICE officers enforcing immigration laws and arresting criminal illegals to the "KKK."
PRESSLEY: "In the same way that the KKK cannot be reformed, another masked militia group, I do not believe ICE can be reformed." pic.twitter.com/4SWaR5ac7G
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 25, 2026
Repeated Calls to Abolish ICE
Pressley has previously called for abolishing ICE.
In January, she described the agency as “racist” and “rogue.”
“The actions of ICE — they are unconstitutional, unlawful, they are cruel,” Pressley said on MS NOW.
“They are rogue, they are racist, and they are terrorizing communities.”
Pressley also weighed in on the shooting of anti-ICE agitator Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
Federal authorities said Good was killed after attempting to run over an ICE officer during a confrontation.
Video shows the agent firing in self-defence as Good rammed him with her SUV.
Pressley described the shooting as “horrific and unacceptable.”
“This harm does not discriminate. It is coming for everyone,” Pressley said.
“And that is exactly why ICE must be stopped, because they’re not operating with any constitutional due diligence.
“They are lawless, they are masked thugs.
“So, whether you are a white woman, whether you are black or brown, certainly our most vulnerable communities are the most vulnerable to the attacks of this rogue agency, but all of our communities are vulnerable to the attacks of this rogue agency.”
“This has nothing to do with training or new protocols,” she added.
“This is about cultural practices that have been underway for many years.
“Congress has the power of the purse and appropriations.
“We need to use it in this moment because this harm is coming for everyone.”
White House Response
Last September, the White House linked rhetoric from Pressley and other Democrats to a shooting at an ICE field office in Dallas.
“The carnage in Dallas, Texas — where a maniac with ‘ANTI-ICE’ ammo gunned down an ICE field office in an attack clearly targeted at ICE personnel — lays bare the deadly consequences of Democrats’ unhinged crusade against our border enforcement,” the White House said.
“Democrats have spent years vilifying ICE as ‘fascists,’ ‘the Gestapo,’ and ‘slave patrols,’ inciting a 1,000% surge in assaults on agents and a wave of Radical Left terror,” the statement added.
Pressley’s latest comments underscore the ongoing clash between progressive Democrats who seek to dismantle or defund ICE and President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Trump admin has expanded interior immigration enforcement as part of its broader border security agenda.
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