Democratic Senate nominee Mandela Barnes endorsed by radical anti-police, abolish ICE group

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Democratic Wisconsin Senate nominee Mandela Barnes was endorsed last month by a radical anti-police group that has called for defunding and disbanding law enforcement, as well as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

On its website, Color of Change PAC celebrated Barnes' experience as a former field organizer and state representative, as well as the current lieutenant governor of the state, while calling for voters to make him the first Black senator from Wisconsin.

The group touts itself as the "nation's largest online racial justice organization," and has engaged in sharp rhetoric aimed at law enforcement, as well as policing policies and institutions it claims are "racist."

Last year, Color of Change praised the Minneapolis City Council's decision to hold a vote on whether to disband the city's police department. In a statement of support, the group called policing "a violent institution that must end." The vote, however, ultimately failed.

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Color of Change also claims on its website that the criminal justice system is "racist, violent and deeply unjust," and in a tweet posted last year, the organization declared that police policies and institutions maintained "America's fascist racial hierarchy."

The group has called for the ending of voter identification laws, which it describes as "voter intimidation" and a component of "voter suppression policies," and has previously published a petition in support of teaching Critical Race Theory in schools.

"Demand Congress stop funding the racist deportation force which prey on people of color & immigrants," the group wrote in a post on Facebook in 2018, including an image of a raised fist with the hashtags "#AbolishICE" and "#AbolishCBP."

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The radical anti-police group Color of Change posted an image on Facebook in 2018 calling for "ICE & CBP" to be abolished. (Facebook/Color of Change)

Fox News Digital reached out to Barnes' campaign for comment and received a response from campaign spokesperson Maddy McDaniel, reiterating Barnes' previously expressed opposition to defunding the police and abolishing ICE, as well as redirecting criticism to his opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.

"Any groups endorsing the Lt. Governor are supporting his policy agenda, not the other way around," McDaniel said. "The Lt. Governor has been clear that he does not support defunding the police or abolishing ICE."

"Now it’s time for Ron Johnson to come clean about his record of enriching himself and his wealthy donors, attacking Social Security and Medicare, and backing abortion bans with no exceptions," she added.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Johnson's campaign for comment and received a response from campaign press secretary Mike Marinella pushing back on Barnes' claims that he supports law enforcement.

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Democratic Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, his party's nominee for U.S. senate, greets guests during a campaign event at The Wicked Hop on Aug. 7, 2022 in Milwaukee. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

"Mandela Barnes’ soft-on-crime policies to defund the police, abolish ICE, eliminate cash bail, and halve the prison population are dangerous for Wisconsin communities," Marinella said. 

"Law enforcement deserves to have full support and Mandela Barnes should immediately reject the endorsement from such a radical group," he added.

In contrast to his expressed opposition to defunding police, Barnes has accepted campaign contributions from a number of groups that advocate for such policies.

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Fox News' Power Rankings has rated the race between Barnes and Johnson as "lean Republican."

The general election will be held Tuesday, November 8.