ICE officers demand freedom from AFL-CIO over mismanagement, 'defund the police' stance

The National ICE Council says its members are sick of being labeled “Nazis” and racists by fellow unionists and is filing charges with the Labor Department to seek financial autonomy from its parent unions, the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Government Employees.

The council says it cannot get adequate representation from the two organizations, which “foster hate and prejudice” against U.S.

The complaint asks the Labor Department, which oversees labor relations, to impose a full financial audit of the two parent unions, to grant financial independence to the council, and to ensure “protections” from retaliation by the AFGE or AFL-CIO.

The complaint highlights the tricky balancing act of labor unions when they back the panoply of Democratic positions, including a spate of proposals in recent years against law enforcement.

“When it will benefit AFGE politically not to support ICE dues-paying members, or when any chance exists that support of ICE employees could be perceived negatively by the administration or congressional Democrats, AFGE will not support its members in the ICE Council or its Locals.

The complaint says AFGE leaders met with Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss immigration and employee safety matters but never bothered to solicit the council’s thoughts on what Mr.

“AFGE’s anti-ICE, anti-law enforcement political ideologies have slanted so radically that AFGE no longer recognizes the existence and role of the ICE Council, and has taken actions for the last year to eliminate the role of the Council at the department level and prevent employee safety issues from being heard and addressed during the pandemic and border surge,” the complaint says.

The National ICE Council cited reports that AFGE leadership used union money to hush up a scandal involving accusations of financial mismanagement and a hostile workplace, including racial discrimination and sexual harassment.

“The ICE Council and its Locals allege that AFGE is stealing, wasting, grossly mismanaging, and engaging in illegal acts with its membership’s money

When memberships’ dues money is available to [National Executive Council] members in furtherance of attending strip clubs, pursuing prostitutes, and funding unauthorized settlements involving their own misconduct, etc., it is evident that sufficient monetary protections and oversight are not in place at AFGE,” the council said in its complaint

Crane said AFGE imposes “forced membership” on its components, including the National ICE Council, by refusing to let them dissolve their ties