Rep. Lee Zeldin Lee ZeldinDCCC reserves new ad buys in competitive districts, adds new members to 'Red to Blue' program Overnight Defense: House panel probes Pompeo's convention speech | UN council rejects US demand to restore Iran sanctions | Court rules against Pentagon policy slowing expedited citizenship The Hill's 12:30 Report: Republicans conduct in-person convention roll call MORE (R-N.Y.) on Sunday said some Democrats are vilifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a form of political pandering to the party's left wing.

“Our great ICE agents, they get vilified by some on the left trying to get political wins out of it. They’ll call ICE agents names," Zeldin said in an interview with radio host John Catsimatidis on AM 970 in New York.

"I remember hearing some of that come out of Albany with the Governor [Cuomo] calling them thugs. Some in Washington [are] calling for them to be defunded.… going after our Customs and Border Patrol agents.”

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“They shouldn’t have to deal with politicians in Washington trying to vilify them to pander to [the] radical left for votes when they’re kissing their spouse goodbye in the morning or they’re saying goodbye to their sons, daughters and other family members… They should know that those around them in government have their backs.”

Zeldin's comments came ahead of sweeping immigration raids threatened for this week.

The operation to deport people in the country illegally fulfills a pledge from President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, who earlier this month vowed the raids would commence after delaying them for a few weeks.

Several liberals have blasted the raids over concerns of family separations, extrajudicial action, pain and human rights violations.

The broader debate about the ICE, which will carry out the raids, has been introduced into the mainstream by progressive lawmakers who argue the agency should be dissolved.