Release: Jillian Gilchrest, Connecticut 1 Candidate for Congress, 80 Courage Candidates say “ABOLISH ICE”
Press for Jillian Gilchrest For Congress
Their press contact is Diane Geurts at pr...@citizensimpeachment.com.
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For Immediate Release: Jan. 26, 2026
Contact: Diane Geurts, Press Liaison, pr...@citizensimpeachment.com
Jillian Gilchrest, Connecticut 1 Candidate for Congress, 80 Courage Candidates say “ABOLISH ICE”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Courage Candidates — pro-impeachment congressional and gubernatorial candidates running for office this election cycle — have expanded their platform to declare that the 23-year-old Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency must be abolished. The announcement follows two on-camera executions by ICE and its sister agency, Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The announcement comes less than 24 hours after the House voted to fully fund the federal agencies responsible for the execution of Renee Good on Jan 8, 2026, and Alex Pretti on Jan 24, 2026.
“Trump is using ICE to punish blue states, fill detention centers that profit his wealthy donors, and intimidate the American people. We will not stand for his fascism, murder, and bigotry. ICE must be abolished.” said Jillian Gilchrest, a Courage Candidate running for Congress in Connecticut’s first district.
Minneapolis, Minn., and surrounding areas are facing continued violence deployed by heavily armed paramilitary forces under the control of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an unsuccessful effort to discourage residents from legally and peacefully recording ICE activity. Minnesotans have organized to resist the federal government’s occupation of the city, creating rapid-response teams to alert neighborhoods to the presence of DHS forces and coordinating the closure of hundreds of businesses as part of a general strike that brought tens of thousands of residents out into freezing weather to peacefully protest ICE activity.
Despite the overwhelming community response Minnesotans have mounted to protect vulnerable members of their communities, sitting members of Congress have so far failed to engage in effective oversight of DHS. Afraid of angering moderates, the Democratic party now shies away from demanding the abolition of ICE, even though this was a mainstream party position in 2018. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) declined to whip votes against a bill funding DHS without constraint. And, although more than 100 representatives have co-sponsored H.Res 996 to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Jan. 14, 2026, the articles were referred to the Judiciary committee rather than brought to the floor for a vote under Rule IX. The Judiciary Committee has not set a date to vote on H.Res 996.
“Members of Congress are failing to protect American citizens and uphold the rule of law by refusing to call for the abolition of ICE,” said Keira Havens, executive director of Citizens’ Impeachment. “If incumbents aren’t prepared to stand up for democracy,” Havens added, “they need to be prepared to step aside.”
Citizens’ Impeachment is a nonpartisan grassroots movement powered by everyday Americans with a unifying mission: to uphold the Constitution of the United States and impeach, convict, and remove officials who violate their oath of office — including Donald Trump and his enablers, who in 2025 alone amassed hundreds of documented violations of constitutional and international statutes.
If elected, the Courage Candidates have pledged to pursue the impeachment of Donald Trump and his enablers for Tyranny, Treason, and Obstruction of Justice. The Courage Candidates are aligned on a pro-democracy platform that includes anti-corruption, anti-oligarchy, and anti-authoritarian positions, including the abolition of ICE. For a full list of Courage Candidates, click here.