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Zach Wahls: “What you are seeing from ICE right now is absolutely…”

Featuring: Zach Wahls, Democratic | Iowa Senate, District 43

IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls

Published May 15, 2026 | Video Starts at 42:55

I don't think either one of you have called for getting rid of ICE altogether. Right? Dave, We're a nation of immigrants. We're also a nation of laws. But What you are seeing from ICE right now is absolutely unacceptable and the agency has to be completely overhauled. Okay, overhaul, but not dumping it. And are you the same way? Overhaul it. But we still have to have it. We need absolute reforms to be in place. (42:55–43:01)

CLAIM

Asserts that ICE's current operations are unacceptable and require a complete overhaul.

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.

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Zach Wahls

“We also have to end the war in Iran.”
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“You have four companies that control 85% of the meat packing when it comes to beef.”
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“Elon Musk spent $300 million influencing the 2024 election.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 22:16-22:23
“Early in the Trump administration, Elon Musk and Doge took their chainsaw to the federal government. And one of the programs that they axed…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 48:17-48:33
“We need to defeat Ashley Henson and stop Donald Trump's assault on our democracy.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 03:07-03:13
“I have won the respect of those voters as an advocate for marriage equality here in our state.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 03:19-03:26
“I'm proud to have won the support of 27 labor unions representing 30,000 hard working blue collar Iowans.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 03:32-03:40
“Polls show I am the strongest candidate to win.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 03:40-03:43
“I definitely have beaten plenty of Republicans and my races have been really proud to have the chance to represent and win elections in…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 06:50-07:01
“Our economy has been rigged, [and] we have seen billionaires corrupt our politics.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 07:15-07:20
“We have to reverse the tariffs that have been plaguing our economy for the last 15 months.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 08:46-08:52
“We see the concentration in our economy, only a handful of corporations dominating these industries.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 08:56-09:03
“Ashley Hinson has rubber stamped [the war in Iran] that Donald Trump started.”
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“This one company from Utah purchased 15 parks across the state and three in my district.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 13:09-13:15
“I was able to build a bipartisan coalition and pass a bill out of the Iowa Senate as a freshman legislator, 48 to 0.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 13:21-13:29
“I was very proud to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders call for a 5% wealth tax on fortunes worth a billion dollars and more.”
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“Most Iowans already pay wealth taxes. They're called property taxes.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 20:03-20:08
“With that wealth tax, what we can do is expand Medicare to make sure that it includes dental, vision and hearing.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 20:13-20:20
“We can make sure that childcare does not cost more than 7% of a person's income.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 20:23-20:29
“I was very proud earlier this year to release my Keep the Promise act, which would scrap the cap on the income that is paid for wealthiest…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 20:38-20:48
“I would have fought for a bill that would have allowed rates on households earning more than $250,000 a year to rise back to where they were…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 21:37-21:47
“We have to overturn Citizens United, pass common sense term limits, and make sure that we end the ability of members of Congress or the…”
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“With this 5% wealth tax, the specific plan that Senator Sanders has put forward that I have endorsed, we can absolutely shore up Medicare…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 26:00-26:10
“Scrapping the cap is going to extend the lifespan of Social Security by decades.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 26:11-26:16
“I will never vote to raise the retirement age. I will never vote to cut benefits to Social Security.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 26:32-26:39
“A public option which would allow people to buy into Medicare, would bring more competition. It would lower costs. It would expand coverage.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 29:47-29:55
“I support lowering the Medicare enrollment age to 55 and making sure that we expand the coverage of Medicare to include vision, dental…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 29:56-30:05
“I'm also proud to be a Day one co sponsor of the proact, which will make it easier for Iowans to organize their workplaces.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 30:25-30:32
“Reversing the Medicaid cuts that we've talked about at some length is one of the most important things that we can do. And we can do that…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 35:04-35:13
“We also need to make sure that we are understanding there are unique challenges in our rural communities.”
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“We put forward in our very detailed health care plan that we released a few weeks ago is calling for a new investment in these rural…”
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“We also have to make sure that we codify Roe.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 36:55-36:58
“In the United States Senate, I will fight to protect maternal health and reproductive rights for every Iowa woman.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 37:23-37:31
“We need to make sure that we are not just doing that, but codifying the right to contraception, codifying the right to technologies like…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 40:22-40:33
“I introduced a bill at the state level that would have done something very similar, and that's what I'll fight for at the federal level.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 40:33-40:39
“I will push to defund these clinics to make sure that they are not receiving taxpayer support because Iowa women deserve to have access to…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 41:11-41:21
“Representative Turek introduced 90 bills during that time. Not a single one of them had to do with reproductive rights or maternal health.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 42:31-42:38
“There is a fear that has gripped our state, has gripped our country, and that is because of an out of control ICE and politicians in…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 43:58-44:07
“We need to have a pathway to legal status for people who may be in this country illegally but who have not committed violent crimes.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 44:19-44:26
“She cut that program down to zero. And that stopped.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 48:53-48:56
“It's resulting in hungry kids. It's resulting in things that are hurting our economy, hurting our health care system.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 49:13-49:21
“I will, as your United States Senator, be a day one co-sponsor of a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 52:14-52:23
“I promise to only serve two terms in the United States Senate if elected.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 52:22-52:26
“No member of Congress can own, trade, sell stocks, cryptocurrency, or game. All these prediction markets will be in office.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 52:26-52:32
“I'll lead by example in all three of those because that's how you win people's trust back.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 52:32-52:37
“We all know that we have an economy that has been rigged for the billionaires.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 55:54-55:59
“We see those same billionaires corrupting our politics, trying to spend an enormous amount of money in this very election.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 55:58-56:06
“We have to win back the trust of the voters who we have lost in this state.”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 56:08-56:13
“We can either try to run the same Schumer playbook again and again and lose, or we can fight for the Iowans that he wrote off and win them…”
IOWA POLITICS: KCCI hosts US Senate primary debate between Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls | Uploaded May 15, 2026 | 56:15-56:26