Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democrat better known for cable news appearances than serious governance, announced Wednesday that he would revoke the driver’s licenses of federal immigration agents who wear masks while operating in California. Yes—federal agents. Enforcing federal law. Apparently, that’s now a DMV issue.
Swalwell, who is running for governor of California, made the comments during an appearance on MS NOW, where he was asked what he would bring to the table as the state’s leader. His answer centered on what he described as protecting California’s “most vulnerable 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 then escalated the idea, suggesting that if immigration officers refuse to comply, they should lose their ability to legally drive in the state.
“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. Bold legal theory—especially when federal supremacy exists.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
The White House was far less restrained in its response, noting that California already issues driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, some of whom have been involved in deadly traffic collisions.
“Fang Fang’s former lover wants to give driver’s licenses to criminal illegal aliens and simultaneously punish law enforcement officers for enforcing the law?” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, referencing Swalwell’s past connection to Christine Fang, the alleged Chinese spy who worked on his congressional campaign. She summed it up succinctly: “What an absolute clown.”
The controversy comes as California considers a law that would ban ICE officers from wearing masks during operations. That measure was set to take effect Thursday, but the Department of Homeland Security has vowed not to comply, and the Trump administration is suing the state over the issue. The law is currently on hold, with a hearing scheduled for January 12.
Supporters of the mask ban claim masked agents pose a danger to communities and reduce accountability. Federal authorities, however, have said ICE officers and their families have faced death threats, doxxing, and harassment, making masks a necessary safety measure—not a political statement.
On Friday, Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, stated plainly that California does not have the authority to regulate federal agents.
“In the meantime, California has agreed to put the law on hold and not enforce its unconstitutional mask ban, which is designed to allow radical leftists to dox federal agents enforcing immigration laws,” Essayli wrote on X.
The criticism didn’t stop there. Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department, also weighed in, questioning whether Swalwell understood basic constitutional law.
“What’s even dumber about this is that Swalwell has a law degree and he even once made a living as a prosecutor,” Dhillon wrote. “He knows about federal supremacy and that it is not possible for a state prosecutor to do any of the things he is promising. Oh, and he won’t ever be governor, either.”
As the Trump administration continues enforcing immigration law at the federal level, California Democrats appear more focused on targeting law enforcement than criminals. Still, the legal reality remains unchanged: federal law is federal law. And no amount of political grandstanding changes that—a reassuring reminder that the Constitution still works, even when politicians pretend it doesn’t.
