Progressive Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Dismantle DHS and Replace It With Community‑Focused Agency Representative Ramirez has unveiled legislation aimed at eliminating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), replacing them with a new Department of Community Safety and a civil court‑based immigration system. The bill also calls for the abolition of immigration detention, reallocation of enforcement powers to the Department of Justice, and a broader shift toward community‑based security and civil liberties. Representative Ramirez announced her road‑map to dismantle the entire Department of Homeland Security, a bold move that has captured the attention of lawmakers and the public alike. Ramirez Proposes Abolishing Department Homeland SecurityHer proposal would rewrite decades of federal security policy by repealing all "duplicative and overreaching terrorism laws," abolishing ICE and Customs and Border Protection, and ending the system of immigration detention that the Justice Department has overseen for more than twenty years. The most radical component of the plan, according to Ramirez, is the creation of a new Department of Community Safety that would take on the essential functions of DHS - from running the Federal Emergency Management Agency to overseeing emergency preparedness, housing, and educational support programs - but would reject the militarized approach that has become a hallmark of the current homeland security apparatus.Ramirez's argument is grounded in a long record of criticism over how DHS, since its founding in 2003 post‑September 11, has become a tool for targeting or persecuting perceived public enemies. She cites the unprecedented loss of life within ICE custody - at least 58 deaths reported since the start of 2025 - as evidence of a system that prioritizes enforcement over human rights.The bill also addresses high‑profile incidents such as ICE agents shooting Oscar Belgal's teenage child in the back seat of his car, the fatal shooting of a man in Maine on July 14, and a protest outside Newark's Delaney Hall detention facility in June 2026 that exposed alleged violations and conditions inside the facility. Beyond eliminating DHS, Ramirez's agenda includes dismantling the current detention system, thereby eliminating the possibility for anyone to be incarcerated without criminal charges or warrants.Justice Department Takes Over Immigration EnforcementBy placing immigration enforcement under the Department of Justice, the bill aims to shift enforcement from heavy‑handed enforcement agencies to a framework that emphasizes civil courts. This reorganization would also expect the contextual reallocation of responsibilities - for example, FBI and other federal investigative powers would be restructured to avoid the layering of power that has historically led to overreach.In practical terms, Ramirez says that the Department of Community Safety would coordinate with local law enforcement, community organizations, and the federal judiciary to build responsive, non‑militarized safety programs that prioritize resident protection and engagement. The legislative proposal is a reaction to a growing public discontent that has peaked in recent presidential elections, with 48% of voters in a July survey saying they want the ICE agency abolished.While Ramirez states that her bill represents a "radical" idea, she frames the alteration as a step toward reform rather than a rejection of national security. She declares her final objective: "We can guarantee that nothing worse will get accomplished, but we also believe that the best is possible, and we should dare to imagine it.Vision Marks Significant Change In National Security" This ambitious vision, if passed, would mark a significant change in how the United States deals with community safety, immigration, and national security. In the wake of escalating political pressure, the proposal has already spurred unit tests of the limits of federal authority and flickered them in a light that many say is not just theoretical, but extraordinarily urgent.Ramirez's bill serves as a call to action for an increasingly active group of protesters and public officials seeking to define safety and partial rather than imposing strict control, and to shift the national conversation to a more equitable approach to security and immigration.