US lawmaker calls for abolishing ICE, ending military aid to Israel

US Rep. Ro Khanna on Friday called for sweeping changes to US domestic and foreign policy, including abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ending military aid to Israel and keeping the US out of foreign wars, Anadolu reports.

Speaking on the second day of the “What’s Next” conference, which brought together Democratic candidates and strategists in Denver, Khanna also pledged to continue seeking accountability for survivors of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Thomas Massie and I are not giving up our fight for survivors, as we just secured 218 signatures on Epstein 2.0,” Khanna said.

The Democratic lawmaker urged his party to reject the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and end US military assistance and weapons transfers to Israel.

“We will abolish ICE. It demands rejecting AIPAC, pulling out the genocide that Americans saw with their own eyes, and saying zero aid to Israel, zero weapons to Israel,” he said.

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Announcing 2028 presidential bid

Khanna also urged the next US president to take a firm stance against military intervention abroad, arguing that Washington should avoid becoming involved in further conflicts.

“The next American president must stand firm and say no more foreign wars. None,” he said.

Khanna later told reporters that he was considering a presidential run in 2028.

Asked whether he intended to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, Khanna said he was seriously weighing a bid.

“I’m certainly considering it… I’m going around the country seeing whether the message will resonate,” Khanna said.

Separately, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who also attended the conference and announced his bid for Senate majority leader, said he would not run for president in 2028.

“Yes, I’m no longer pursuing that. I believe that the size and scale of these majorities provides an opportunity for the Senate to answer the call of the American people,” he told reporters.

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