Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said Wednesday that he would move to revoke the driver’s licenses of federal immigration agents who wear masks, a proposal he framed as part of a broader effort to protect vulnerable communities.
Swalwell, who is running for governor, made the comments during an appearance on MS NOW, where he was asked what he would bring to the role of California’s chief executive. He responded that a governor has a responsibility to safeguard the state’s most at-risk populations.
“If the president is going to send ICE agents to chase immigrants through the fields where they work, what I’m going to do is make them take off their masks and show their faces, that they show their identification, and if they commit crimes, that they’re going to be charged with crimes,” Swalwell said.
He went on to argue that California’s authority over driver’s licenses could be used as leverage. “If the governor has the ability to issue driver’s licenses to people in California, if you’re going to wear a mask and not identify yourself, you’re not going to be eligible to drive a vehicle in California,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
The White House responded by pointing to California’s policy of issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, noting that some recipients have been involved in fatal traffic accidents. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson criticized Swalwell’s remarks, referencing his past connection to Christine Fang, who was accused of targeting rising California politicians while working on his congressional campaign.
A California law aimed at banning ICE officers from wearing masks during operations was scheduled to take effect Thursday, but the Department of Homeland Security has said it will not comply. The Trump administration is suing the state over the measure, which is currently on hold pending a Jan. 12 hearing.
Opponents of masked immigration enforcement argue that agents who conceal their identities can intimidate communities and evade accountability. Federal officials counter that ICE agents and their families have faced death threats and doxxing, making masks a necessary safety measure.
On Friday, Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said the state lacks the authority to regulate federal officers. He wrote on X that California agreed to pause enforcement of what he called an unconstitutional mask ban designed to enable activists to identify and harass federal agents.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, also criticized Swalwell’s proposal. Writing on X, she said that as a law school graduate and former prosecutor, Swalwell should understand federal supremacy and the limits of state power over federal law enforcement, adding that his promises were legally unworkable.
