Political speech, timestamped and in context

Abdul El-Sayed: “For the better part of our country's history, we did not have an ICE.”

Featuring: Abdul El-Sayed, Podcast Host, America Dissected | National

Democratic Senate candidates Haley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed full debate

Published July 27, 2026

So I'm just saying that I do the thing that I say I'm going to do. I don't think ICE needs to exist For the better part of our country's history, we did not have an ICE. And I think we can do a much better job when it comes to immigration without one. And here's the last thing I just want to say about this. (39:17–39:22)

STATEMENT

Asserts that ICE did not exist for most of U.S. history.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

See the main statements from Abdul El-Sayed in this video

“They [DTE] spend on 93% of the entire elected state legislature as well as most of our congresspeople.”
Claims that DTE financially supports 93% of Michigan's state legislature and most congresspeople.05:09-20:50
“Just last week, our friend here voted to send 3.3 billion of your tax dollars to a foreign government.”
Asserts that a political opponent voted to allocate $3.3 billion in taxpayer money to a foreign government.05:44-05:52
“Our county ranked the number eight for medical debt nationwide, and we could eliminate that for a penny on the dollar.”
Asserts that the county ranked eighth nationwide for medical debt and could eliminate it for a penny on the dollar.22:54-23:01
“We set aside $7 million to erase up to $700 million in medical debt.”
Asserts that $7 million was set aside to erase up to $700 million in medical debt.23:00-23:05
“30% of [kids] would get tested positive for needing glasses and wouldn't get a pair.”
Asserts that 30% of kids tested positive for needing glasses did not receive them.23:06-23:11
“Rebuilt Detroit's health department, led Wayne County's Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed rebuilt Detroit's health department and led Wayne County's Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services.02:11-02:16
“Put glasses on kids, took on corporate polluters, made sure that our kids weren't breathing the worst, coming out of smokestacks, and eliminated medical debt.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed's initiatives included providing glasses to children, addressing corporate pollution, ensuring cleaner air, and eliminating medical debt.02:16-02:25
“It's about you deserving a politics that's not bought off by the same corporations picking your pocket at every single turn.”
Asserts that politics should not be influenced by corporations that exploit citizens financially.02:49-02:56
“DTE [is] building one of the largest hyperscale data centers in our state in ex parte approval.”
Asserts that DTE is constructing a large data center in Michigan with ex parte approval.04:49-21:01
“I'm the only candidate in this race who doesn't take any money from corporations.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed is the only candidate in the race who does not accept corporate donations.05:13-05:17
“Rather than sending your money somewhere else to drop bombs on other people and their kids, we can keep that money here at home.”
Asserts that funds should be kept domestically rather than used for foreign military actions.05:35-05:41
“I'm the only candidate in this race who's never touched a dime of corporate PAC money.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed has not accepted corporate PAC money in his campaign.08:49-08:53
“They've set a record in this race to help elect my opponent because they know that she'll be a reliable vote, just like she took last week to send your tax dollars to a foreign government that is aiding, arming and abetting the very people who want to foreclose on the possibility of Palestinian self determination.”
Asserts that AIPAC has set a record in spending to support his opponent, who voted to send U.S. tax dollars to a foreign government involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.12:08-12:26
“We're being outspent in this race 12 to 1.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed's campaign is being outspent by a ratio of 12 to 1.13:11-13:14
“DTE is the biggest spender in our entire politics.”
Asserts that DTE is the largest political spender in Michigan.20:41-20:45
“This is going to increase the load on our grid by more than twice now.”
Asserts that the load on the grid will more than double.21:04-21:09
“We just lost our power for five days in a row because of a mid-level storm.”
Asserts that power was lost for five days due to a mid-level storm.21:08-21:14
“I still have yet to see a plan from DTE about how they're going to improve our reliability while doubling more so the amount of electricity they're expected to provide for a data center that nobody asked for.”
Asserts that DTE has not provided a plan to improve reliability while increasing electricity supply for a data center.21:25-21:37
“We put optometrists on vans outside of school so that as soon as a kid got a positive test, they'd go out, get a full optometric exam, and get a pair of glasses delivered within two weeks of a vision test.”
Asserts that optometrists were placed on vans to provide exams and glasses within two weeks of a vision test.23:10-23:21
“The biggest threat to capitalism was never the idea of government regulation. It was always monopoly.”
Asserts that monopoly, not government regulation, is the biggest threat to capitalism.23:33-23:39
“Government ought to be there to regulate on monopolies and oligopolies so that everybody can actually participate in an economy without having to be forced to pay more or get paid less.”
Asserts that government should regulate monopolies and oligopolies to ensure fair economic participation.23:53-24:04
“I'm grateful for the endorsement of the UAW and they endorse me because they understand that a pathway forward to bring back the manufacturing that we lost because of terrible policies like USMCA voted on by my friend here, is to make sure that we are thoughtful about actually regulating the way that corporations and the top of corporations make decisions.”
Asserts that the UAW endorsed him due to his stance on reversing manufacturing losses caused by policies like USMCA.28:15-28:35
“We need to ban stock buybacks.”
Asserts that stock buybacks should be banned.28:36-28:38
“Corporations will literally buy their own stock to artificially raise their stock price.”
Asserts that corporations buy their own stock to artificially raise stock prices.28:39-28:45
“Unlike the stupid tariffs of Donald Trump, which is around the clock tariffs for everyone, I think that there's a place for targeted tariffs.”
Asserts that targeted tariffs are preferable to Trump's broad tariffs.28:55-28:58
“We need to massively invest in being continuing to be the best place to make an internal combustion engine in the world and also to invest in EVs and EV infrastructure.”
Asserts the need for investment in internal combustion engines and EV infrastructure.29:08-29:19
“The UAW has built the American automotive industry.”
Asserts that the UAW has been foundational to the American automotive industry.29:43-29:47
“The filibuster itself is anti Democrat.”
Asserts that the filibuster is anti-democratic.32:35-32:38
“We had an opportunity to break the filibuster.”
Asserts that there was an opportunity to break the filibuster.32:37-32:40
“We have the opportunity to get money out of politics, to take on Citizens United.”
Asserts the opportunity to address Citizens United and remove money from politics.33:01-33:06
“We have the opportunity to put money back in pockets by doing things like passing the Pro act.”
Asserts that passing the Pro Act could financially benefit people.33:06-33:11
“We have the opportunity to start changing and enforcing our antitrust policies so a few corporations can't pick your pocket at every turn.”
Asserts the need to enforce antitrust policies to prevent corporate exploitation.33:12-33:20
“We have the opportunity to tax billionaires their wealth.”
Asserts the opportunity to tax billionaires on their wealth.33:19-33:23
“We have the opportunity to finally guarantee every single person in this country health care through Medicare for all.”
Asserts the opportunity to implement Medicare for All.33:22-33:28
“She's also voted to raise ICE funding four times.”
Asserts that Congresswoman Stevens voted to raise ICE funding four times.38:19-38:24
“I said that we need to abolish ICE.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed believes ICE should be abolished.38:38-38:41
“ICE is about normalizing paramilitary force on our streets.”
Asserts that ICE normalizes paramilitary force on U.S. streets.38:49-38:53
“I just also ran government agencies.”
Asserts that Abdul El-Sayed has experience running government agencies.40:06-40:09
“For most of our history, we didn't have [ICE]. We had INS, and they were targeted.”
Asserts that the U.S. previously used INS instead of ICE, which was more targeted.40:31-40:36
“ICE has become a tyrannical agency.”
Asserts that ICE has become a tyrannical agency.40:59-41:01
“We're fighting a war that's cost us billions of dollars.”
Asserts that the U.S. is involved in a war costing billions of dollars.43:00-43:04
“The same corporations who funded your campaign are raising rates on the things that they can't go without, like their power.”
Asserts that corporations funding political campaigns are raising essential service rates.43:32-43:37
“There is this group called the Center for Democratic Priorities. They didn't exist until they popped up and started running ads for my opponent.”
Asserts that the Center for Democratic Priorities was created to run ads for his opponent.44:39-44:46
“Every single dollar that DTE is spending is a down payment on knowing that they can raise your rates.”
Asserts that DTE's campaign spending is intended to secure future rate increases.45:26-45:32
“Every single dollar that Blue Cross Blue Shield spends in this race is a down payment on raising your premium.”
Asserts that Blue Cross Blue Shield's campaign spending is intended to secure future premium increases.45:31-45:36
“The American Federation of Teachers has endorsed me in this race.”
Asserts that he has received an endorsement from the American Federation of Teachers.47:51-47:55
“Right now we fund school buildings based on property tax.”
Asserts that school buildings are currently funded through property tax.48:51-48:55
“The money that we should have to invest in our schools is being sent to foreign governments to destroy other people's schools instead of investing in our own.”
Asserts that funds meant for domestic education are being diverted to foreign governments.49:11-49:19
“We put air quality monitors all over Wayne county so folks can get real time information about the air that they're breathing.”
Asserts that air quality monitors have been installed throughout Wayne County.51:41-51:47
“Took on Marathon Petroleum, the biggest polluter and the most polluted zip code in the state.”
Asserts that Marathon Petroleum is the largest polluter in the most polluted zip code in Michigan.51:50-51:55
“Forced [Marathon Petroleum] to invest their own money to reduce emissions when they had wanted to increase them.”
Asserts that Marathon Petroleum was compelled to reduce emissions instead of increasing them.51:54-51:58
“We need to get to 100% renewable energy.”
Asserts the need for a transition to 100% renewable energy.52:07-52:11
“We need and deserve guaranteed health care through Medicare for All.”
Asserts the necessity of implementing Medicare for All.53:05-53:09
“On day one, I want to offer medical debt relief to everybody.”
Asserts the intention to provide medical debt relief on the first day in office.53:42-53:46
“Poll after poll after poll has shown, despite what my colleague says, that I am the most competitive candidate to take on Mike Rogers.”
Asserts that polls indicate he is the most competitive candidate against Mike Rogers.55:26-55:34
“I'm the only candidate in this race who does not take corporate money.”
Asserts that he is the only candidate not accepting corporate donations.55:47-55:51