John Fetterman’s Pivot to ICE Defender Draws Praise from Trump

As ICE intensifies its mass deportation efforts—frequently involving masked agents detaining individuals without criminal records—Fetterman has dismissed calls to abolish the agency as outrageous. His comments followed a violent confrontation in Southern California, where federal officers used tear gas against protesters, including children, during a farm raid. While Democratic colleagues in the House recently introduced the No Secret Police Act to demand greater transparency from agents, Fetterman maintained on X that the agency performs an essential national service.

This rhetoric stands in stark contrast to his 2018 stance as mayor of Braddock, when he explicitly agreed that the agency’s actions were unconscionable and evil. Critics, including former primary opponent Connor Lamb, have pointed to the hypocrisy of the transformation. Lamb noted that 71% of detainees currently held by the agency have no criminal record, challenging Fetterman’s assertion that the agency is merely targeting criminals. The senator’s pivot has placed him at odds with the progressive base that helped elect him, even as his new alignment with the White House delights Republican leadership.