California Rep. Eric Swalwell laid out his plans for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at a recent candidates forum. He said he would take away their driver’s licenses and prosecute them using local law enforcement if he becomes governor.
According to the New York Post, Swalwell made his intentions clear during the Empowerment Congress California Governor Forum on Saturday. Other candidates like Rep. Katie Porter also attended the event alongside him.
Swalwell didn’t hold back when talking about ICE agents. “They’re going to lose their immunity, they’re not gonna be able to drive. I will take your driver’s license. Good luck walking to work, a—holes,” Swalwell said at the forum.
Swalwell’s plan would create major obstacles for federal agents in California
Taking away driver’s licenses would seriously hurt ICE agents’ ability to do their jobs. Federal law enforcement officers need to respond quickly and travel across California’s large counties, so losing their licenses would make it nearly impossible for them to work.
This policy would also create a strange situation in California. The state has been giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants since 2015, after former Governor Jerry Brown signed the law in 2013. Under Swalwell’s plan, federal agents would lose their right to drive while people in the country illegally would keep theirs.
Swalwell also promised to use state power to charge ICE agents with crimes. He said he would tell local police to use “every power” they have to go after these federal officers. “I will direct law enforcement to use every power to prosecute [ICE officers] for battery, false imprisonment and murder,” he said. The growing support for ICE officers has become clear, with one billionaire’s donation sparking major controversy.
Using local law to prosecute federal agents for serious crimes like battery, false imprisonment, and murder would be a major escalation in the fight between state and federal government. This would turn state and local police into direct opponents of federal agents, creating constant conflict.
Swalwell recently introduced the ICE OUT Act at the federal level with Rep. Dan Goldman. This bill would remove qualified immunity from ICE officers, making it easier to sue them personally. The push for this legislation came just two days after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Good reportedly drove her SUV at the agent, and reports say the agent is unlikely to face charges for her death. However, new footage from the shooting incident has added more complexity to the ongoing debate.
Published: Jan 18, 2026 05:15 pm