The U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency (ICE) was only founded 15 years ago. This recently created special federal law enforcement agency has been involved in actions that clearly violate international human rights. The policy of separating children from their families, and locking them in cages, has rightly shocked the conscience of a nation. While this policy, instituted by President Trump, was reversed, many of these children will never be reunited with their parents. 

Immigration enforcement, and border security, can be handled by the federal government without the existence of ICE. 

With ACLU reports now detailing that many of the children detained by ICE may have been severely abused and mistreated by ICE agents, a line has been crossed. Under such conditions, no agency of government can properly continue to function as currently constituted. 

An investigation should be opened into the actions of ICE and its agents, and the agency should be abolished.

While President Trump bears the main responsibility for this action, ICE agents cannot claim, as other human rights violators attempted before, that: "they were only following orders."

Daryl Finizio

New London

Editor's note: Mr. Finizio is the former mayor of New London.