Overview
- At an Empowerment Congress event in Los Angeles on Jan. 17, Rep. Eric Swalwell said ICE agents would “lose their immunity” and that he would revoke their driver’s licenses in California if he becomes governor.
- He vowed to direct state and local law enforcement to pursue charges against ICE personnel for offenses including battery, false imprisonment, and murder.
- Media reports say he is working with Rep. Dan Goldman on federal legislation that would strip ICE agents of qualified immunity, a proposal that has been described as the ICE OUT effort.
- No policy has changed to date, and prior state attempts to constrain federal officers have faced significant legal challenges, including a recent pause on California’s mask-limit law for federal agents after a DOJ suit.
- His remarks follow weeks of anti-ICE demonstrations nationwide after the shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis, which has intensified scrutiny of ICE enforcement practices.