diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol.cpp
index 1cc4f8587df..3aa950838e0 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol.cpp
@@ -2971,7 +2971,7 @@ uint32_t ucol_prv_getSpecialCE(const UCollator *coll, UChar ch, uint32_t CE, col
               }
               source->pos = source->writableBuffer;
           }
-          CE = ucol_IGetNextCE(coll, source, status); // UCOL_IGNORABLE;
+          CE = UCOL_IGNORABLE;
       }
       break;
     case SPEC_PROC_TAG: