Rep.
Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has pledged to revoke the driving privileges of federal immigration officers who wear masks in California if he is elected governor.
"If the governor has the ability to issue drivers licenses to people in California, if youre going to wear a mask and not identify yourself, youre not going to be eligible to drive a vehicle in California," Swalwell stated during an interview with MS NOW.
According to The Hill, a new California law prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from wearing masks during operations within the state, a measure that took effect on Thursday. Governor Gavin Newsom, upon signing the bill in September, remarked that ICE officers would no longer be "hidden from accountability."
The Department of Homeland Security, however, has refused to comply with this legislation, and the Trump administration has challenged the ban in court, asserting its unconstitutionality.
The California government agreed to hold off enforcing the law until U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder could rule on the federal government's request for a preliminary injunction. On December 22, Judge Snyder denied this request, with the next court hearing set for January 12. Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, reinforced the administration's stance, asserting on the social platform X that "California has no authority to regulate federal agents."
Since President Trump resumed office last January, federal immigration enforcement has intensified in California. The Pew Research Center reports that as of 2023, approximately 2.25 million immigrants residing illegally in the United States live in California, the highest number of any state.
In response to ICE raids, migrant communities in Los Angeles staged protests in June, leading President Trump to deploy the California National Guard and Marines, despite Governor Newsom's objections. A federal judge later deemed the President's actions unconstitutional in September.
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