Progressive Democrats’ Outrageous Comparison of ICE to Nazi Gestapo Sparks Controversy

By Clarence V. McKee

The progressive left and many Democratic politicians have escalated their rhetoric by equating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Hitler’s Nazis and Gestapo for upholding immigration laws. This inflammatory language has drawn sharp criticism, with some lawmakers facing backlash for their remarks.

Recent actions by Democratic leaders, including Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., who signed a law banning law enforcement, including ICE, from wearing masks, have been condemned as reckless. Such policies expose agents and their families to potential threats, raising concerns about safety.

A White House statement highlighted the surge in violence against ICE agents, attributing it to years of derogatory comparisons. The statement listed over two dozen Democrats for using terms like “fascists,” “Gestapo,” and “slave patrols” to describe ICE, calling these remarks a “battle cry for violence.”

The historical context of the Gestapo—a secret police force under Nazi Germany responsible for persecution, torture, and mass killings during the Holocaust—has been trivialized by these comparisons. The article emphasizes that such language disrespects the memory of millions murdered in camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka.

Notably, figures such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, D-Cal., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have faced scrutiny for their rhetoric. The article questions why these leaders, particularly those from minority communities, would liken ICE to Nazi forces, given the historical persecution of similar groups under Hitler’s regime.

The piece urges Democrats to abandon such comparisons, stressing the need to respect the gravity of Holocaust history. It calls for accountability and a cessation of inflammatory language that risks inciting violence.

Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He is the author of “How Obama Failed Black America and How Trump Is Helping It.”