Shaheen Denies 'Abolish ICE' Stance Weeks After Saying 'We Need To Dismantle ICE'

By Leonard Robinson, NH Journal

Democrat Stefany Shaheen denied supporting the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Monday night’s NH-01 debate, two weeks after telling a University of New Hampshire audience, “We need to dismantle ICE.”

The exchange came during New England College’s Live Free or Die debate in Henniker, where Shaheen and Republican Anthony DiLorenzo clashed over immigration, the war with Iran, and her professional record. The candidates are competing to replace U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

DiLorenzo accused Shaheen of joining progressives calling for ICE to be abolished.

“That’s not true,” Shaheen said.

But at the Oct. 5 UNH forum, Shaheen explicitly called for dismantling the agency.

“We need to dismantle ICE,” Shaheen said.

Moderator Kevin Sullivan, an associate editor at The Washington Post, asked whether she meant “dismantle and rebuild.”

“Dismantle,” Shaheen replied. “And I think there’s a chance to rebuild with a stated purpose for how we protect people.”

WMUR also reported that all five candidates in September’s Democratic primary debate supported abolishing ICE.

Shaheen’s campaign website calls for ICE to be “completely overhauled,” including requiring body cameras, banning masks, and ending raids in schools, churches, and hospitals.

Shaheen corrected DiLorenzo when he called the Laken Riley Act the “Lincoln Riley Act” while supporting the law.

“It is not the Lincoln Riley Act, it’s the Laken Riley Act,” Shaheen said. “And the fact is, that act was passed before innocent Americans were gunned down in their own streets trying to peacefully protest. It is not acceptable for ICE agents to unleash terror.”

On foreign policy, both candidates supported ending the war with Iran, with DiLorenzo calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.

“I support the initiative of eliminating the nuclear threat from the radical Islamic regime,” DiLorenzo said. “I do not support the war, and I would support immediate withdrawal right now, bringing our brave men and women home.”

DiLorenzo also opposed additional U.S. support for Ukraine, citing his opposition to “funding other people’s wars.”

Shaheen blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for drawing President Donald Trump into the Iran conflict.

“The war that Trump is in in Iran is because of Netanyahu, who dragged him into the war,” Shaheen said. “The fact is, you do support that.”

The crowd applauded.

During the Democratic primary, Shaheen attacked rival Maura Sullivan over contributions from donors linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Sullivan denied receiving money from AIPAC itself. Shaheen also backed an amendment from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would have blocked $3.3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel in fiscal 2027.

The debate also turned personal as DiLorenzo contrasted his business and real estate experience with Shaheen’s career, which he attributed to her mother’s political connections.

“I have never been paid a dime through the federal government. He has been lying,” Shaheen said. “You have been lying to New Hampshire voters now for three weeks. I have not been paid a dime in federal money for any of the work I have ever done. You haven’t been able to prove it because it doesn’t exist.”

According to previous NHJournal reporting, the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute reported paying Shaheen more than $921,000 from 2018 through 2024. She identified her position as chief strategy officer in her financial disclosure.

The institute was part of a Manchester biofabrication initiative awarded $44 million in federal funding supported by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. However, the public records cited in that reporting do not establish that federal grant money paid her daughter’s compensation.

Their dispute over qualifications continued when the candidates discussed whether Congress should regulate artificial intelligence. DiLorenzo questioned whether Congress — and Shaheen — had the expertise to do so.

Shaheen pointed to her education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her business experience.

“I have vast experience working in technology. I have a degree from MIT, and I patented algorithms that were the underpinning of my business,” Shaheen said. “I do have a ton of experience with this technology, and I think we actually need more people in Congress who understand how the technology works, so we can actually create the roadmap that will protect people in our communities.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.