Swalwell Pledges to Arrest ICE Agents and Take Away Their Driver’s Licenses

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Cal.) will not be outdone again. Recently, Swalwell was outvoted in Congress by a colleague who had died months earlier.  Now, he is ensuring that, when it comes to violating the Constitution, no one is even close. This week, Swalwell pledged that, if elected California governor, he will arrest ICE officers and take away their driver’s licences.

On MS NOW’s “All In,” Swalwell was asked by host Jason Johnson: “What would you do if you are able to be elected as governor of California? … What would you bring to the table as a governor of California?”

Swalwell responded:

“Well, you have immense powers as governor of California and your responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in the state. So 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 sure that they 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, if it’s falsely imprisoning people, if it’s kidnapping, if it’s assault battery, they’re going to be held accountable. I also think 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. There’s a lot you can do, but most importantly, you have to go on offense. Otherwise, the most vulnerable in our community will always be on defense.”

Democrats appear to be morphing into predecessors like Gov. George Wallace (D., Ala.), pledging to defy federal authority and bar federal agents from their states. Wallace also reportedly threatened to arrest federal officers (and then later backed down when he was threatened with court action).

In an “age of rage,” the most irate and irrational reigns supreme.

From demanding that any Democratic nominee pledge to demolish the new Trump ballroom to opposing parental rights in schools, Swalwell has struggled to find traction with far-left California voters.

However, he is now promising to violate the Constitution. That did not take long. We do not even have a clear idea of who will be the frontrunners in the election. It is like a game of chicken where Swalwell immediately drives off the cliff before anyone gets into their cars.

Ironically, it is precisely what he has accused Donald Trump of doing: disregarding the Constitution when it suits his political agenda.

In case it matters to anyone left in California, he cannot do this. Seizing federal agents sort of went out of constitutional style after the Civil War. The “immense powers as governor of California” do not include dictating what federal officers can wear on their faces or bodies.

The first tiny barrier to Swalwell’s antebellum policies is the Supremacy Clause, which prevents states from “interfering with or controlling the operations of the Federal Government.” United States v. Washington (2022). Since McCulloch v. Maryland in 1819, the Supreme Court has consistently struck down state laws that impede federal enforcement.

Moreover, immunity under the Supremacy Clause (Article VI, Clause 2) bars criminally charging officials who are properly carrying out their lawful federal duties. For example, in 1890, the Supreme Court ruled In re Neagle that a U.S. Marshal had immunity when a state tried to charge him with murder after he shot and killed an individual attacking a justice.

While the Supreme Court has also stressed that federal immunity does not afford federal employees carte blanche to violate any and all state laws, it has made clear that such state limits must be incidental and nonintrusive. In Johnson v. Maryland (1920), Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes explained:

“It very well may be that, when the United States has not spoken, the subjection to local law would extend to general rules that might affect incidentally the mode of carrying out the employment — as, for instance, a statute or ordinance regulating the mode of turning at the corners of streets. Commonwealth v. Closson, 229 Mass. 329. This might stand on much the same footing as liability under the common law of a state to a person injured by the driver’s negligence. But even the most unquestionable and most universally applicable of state laws, such as those concerning murder, will not be allowed to control the conduct of a marshal of the United States acting under and in pursuance of the laws of the United States. Ex parte Neagle, 135 U. S. 1.”

None of this really matters to Swalwell. He is moving from democrat to demagogue in pledging unconstitutional acts to be sure that no one is farther to the left in the California race. It is the same “politics of contempt” that he has displayed as a member of Congress. Swalwell has always distinguished himself by doing things that few others could stomach, such as mocking a female senator over the death threats that she was receiving from irate liberals.

He also may be right about California voters. While others are struggling to come up with ideas for a state that is facing a crushing debt crisis and top taxpayers fleeing the state, Swalwell is promising chest-pounding theatrics…more jester than governor. He will entertain and distract with measures that will be struck down in courts.

It is the modern equivalent of the Roman games, promising combat with federal officers to thrill the crowd. From California and New York, there is an insatiable appetite for lawfare and disruption. Swalwell will promise chaos and confrontation … and many California voters will love him for it.

 

363 thoughts on “Swalwell Pledges to Arrest ICE Agents and Take Away Their Driver’s Licenses”

  1. “. . . 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.”

    Good thing for Fang Fang that she’ll have access to the governor’s chauffeur.

  2. One should be quite content with Swallows-well. I hope he becomes the Governor of Neverland. He’s one of those that will most likely violate the law in such a manner that he can, and WILL BE arrested for violations of Federal Law.

    1. I imagine it was Fang Fang who did the swallowing. All for a good cause, though – a world dominated by China.

      1. No, their love child attends the best school in Beibing. A natural-born American nicknamed “51”. America’s Panchen Lama.

  3. There was a point early in Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D., Cal.) Congressional career that I thought he might turn out to be a strong voice of political moderation in the political left, boy was I wrong about him. He’s defied that original observation and turned out to be one of the most extreme, delusional, anti-constitutional, Trump Deranged Democrats (aka progressive) on the DC political scene. He’s an unapologetic wacko propagandist that virtue signals to the absolute worse of the modern political left.

      1. Anonymous wrote that I’m a “You missed this: he’s a congressman?”

        Your comprehension skills are rather lacking, I didn’t miss a thing; in fact, I specifically referred to his “Congressional career”.

        Anonymous wrote that I’m a “You? Whiney commenter.”

        Sounds to me like this little Miss Anonymous is snowflaking hard. She can’t refute what I wrote so she resorted to calling me “whiney”, and of course she does this without a shred of supporting evidence. She sounds like one of those ignorant grade school bullies that learned a new word and uses it ad nauseum.

        Whiney isn’t even on the list of how most people with an IQ higher than 40 would describe me, you’re just making up faux insults to troll me.

        Care to try again?

        1. Anonymous wrote that I’m a “You? Whiney commenter.” And yet here you are acting like a “whiney commenter”. Stupidity knows no bounds folks.

          1. Miss Anonymous wrote, “Anonymous wrote that I’m a “You? Whiney commenter.” And yet here you are acting like a “whiney commenter”. Stupidity knows no bounds folks.”

            In context with the last two comments in our brief conversation, that was an utterly moronic thing to write.

            This Miss Anonymous could learn a lot from the following adage…

            “It’s better to be thought the moron, than to speak/write and remove all doubt.”

            I’ll give you the last word so you can continue to show us just how much of an internet troll you really are.

            Let’er rip.

        2. Looks like anon pissed ole steve “the intellectual” spoon something or other. And ole steve went for it like a fool.

          1. Looks like anon pissed ole steve “the intellectual” spoon something or other. And ole steve went for it like a fool.

            And ol’ Fran jumped right at ol’ Steve for for publicly undressing Franny’s butch dyke lesbian lover. The Biden Alphabet Sex Pride Tribe is all in a rage today!

          1. What did you expect from Stevie?

            Projection:
            Channeling one’s actions onto others typically refers to the psychological concept of projection, where an emotionally disturbed individual unconsciously or deliberately attributes their own thoughts, feelings, and anti-social or criminal behaviors onto someone else. This is an internal defense mechanism which allows that mentally ill person to avoid confronting their own behavior and guilt by seeing it instead as as the thoughts and actions of another person who they despise and hate.

      2. You missed this: he’s a congressman? You? Whiney commenter.

        You? Cosplaying as both a drive-in movie theater along with claiming to be a furry tranny woman. Did you at least also get screwed by a ChiCom spy – with or without being on a Congressional Intelligence Committee with access to classified information as Swalwell did?

        Projection:
        Channeling one’s actions onto others typically refers to the psychological concept of projection, where an emotionally disturbed individual unconsciously or deliberately attributes their own thoughts, feelings, and anti-social or criminal behaviors onto someone else. This is an internal defense mechanism which allows that mentally ill person to avoid confronting their own behavior and guilt by seeing it instead as as the thoughts and actions of another person who they despise and hate.

  4. California has a jungle primary system where only the top 2 get to compete in the finals. Swallwell has to make a name for himself to get past that hurdle because he has a lot of Democrat competition.

  5. Eric Swallwell is, hands down, the biggest idiot in California politics. And that’s saying something considering some of the yo-yos he’s competing with like Maxine Waters.

    1. Eric Swallwell is, hands down, the biggest idiot in California politics. Idiot you say? Yet he’s a congressman since 2023. You?

      1. Even idiots may be possessed of low cunning sufficient to dupe Californians, who vote for the people who promote sexual mutilation of children and enact both crippling taxes and policies designed to maximize fire danger.

        1. What does cunning have to do with Eric? He was elected by some 187k duped people? Amazing skill he has, wouldn’t you say? Can you dupe that many?
          You sure sound like some kinky Californian, you’re into sexual mutilation? No thank you, I’ll pass.

          1. I could, perhaps, but since I consider that immoral I wouldn’t try. I have, however, over the years caused at least that many to happily suspend disbelief for a few hours at a time.

            California is a place I have avoided for most of my life, after touring there twice. And no, I do not advocate for bodily mutilation, though I have nothing against pierced ears (single puncture only).

            It isn’t I who promotes to small children that their parent may be lying to them as to their identifies, nor promotes the excision of children’s healthy primary and second sexual characteristics. That would be leftists and Democrats who do that.

        2. Ellen Evans,
          Well, that is Californians for you. They vote time and time again against their own best interests or they vote for the far leftists agenda, like the mutilation of children. They are voting for the demise of their own state. That is why the people who can, or are smart enough, see it happening and are leaving.

          1. I appreciate the pig farmers unmeaningful insight: “voting for the demise of their own state”? What does that even mean? Too deep for me.

          2. Californians voted for high-speed rail and against parental notification before abortion, but not for mutilation. That was Vanita Gupta, Obama’s civil rights AG, + Kaiser + Stanford.

          3. Oh, many are leaving, and good for them. Those who don’t because they lack funds deserve sympathy, but those who willingly invite their own violent Californication via the nether hole all humans possess, and delight in inflicting the same on others do not. They deserve all the bleeding they do and will do.

          4. “They vote time and time again against their own best interests”

            With the rest of us footing the bill for their idiocies. That’s what needs to end. Make those morons pick up their own tab…

      2. so is the guy who thinks Guam will tip over – getting elected in a blue gerrymandered district takes no IQ higher than the temp of my old cup of tea. Surely you put no confidence in any dem elected official and that includes governors, senators, mayors…even autopen presidents. You make me laugh.

        1. whimsicalmama,
          HA!!! Love the Guam reference!! When I first read about that, I thought, “Surely, that has to be a Bee/satire article!” Nope!! It was real!

      3. Stick foot in mouth a sign of of ignorant ego. Swallwell congressman since 2013, two different congressional districts.

      4. Eric Swallwell is, hands down, the biggest idiot in California politics. Idiot you say? Yet he’s a congressman since 2023. You?

        You? You a similar genius to Swalwell? Sure, let’s talk about YOU – if you prefer to deflect to doing that, instead of the topic of the article, Swalwell.

        You ALSO were a genius who allowed a ChiCom honeypot spy to get you into bed while you were on a Congressional intelligence committee? Equally ingenious as Swalwell, and hope you can also brag you’ve been referred for criminal prosecution as Swalwell has?

        Rep. Eric Swalwell’s $1.2 million DC home target of DOJ mortgage fraud criminal referral
        https://nypost.com/2025/11/13/us-news/eric-swalwells-1-2-million-dc-home-target-of-doj-mortgage-fraud-criminal-referral/

  6. It seems with all the times the Trump administration has gone to court, recently about national guard in Chicago, the new political game plan at all levels is to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission.

    1. It seems with all the times the Trump administration has gone to court…

      It’s clear that communist Democrats who post with traditional Soviet names have a fantasy that Trump began these episodes of hopeful judicial warfare. Rather than his fellow communist Democrats. When you don’t notice how overwhelmingly SCOTUS ultimately sides with Trump rather than your fellow communists – you’re the avatar of Democrat Useless Idiot.

    2. You had concerns for a murderous people getting killed in Gaza after attacking innocent civilians in Israel. Now you are siding with those permitting the killing of women and children in Chicago. Where are your morals? Why do you hate American women and children?

  7. Turley: “Now, he is ensuring that, when it comes to violating the Constitution, no one is even close. …” Excuse me Prof. Turley, you failed to mention Trump.

        1. I didn’t know otters had political preferences. What is said about the MAGA-leaning otter contingent? I’ve seen nothing about that in the news.

    1. You should pay attention before writing. President Trump has prevailed on appeal in almost all cases.

  8. Turley sure loves to exaggerate and mislead. It seems he’s not paying attention to what Swallwell said because he can absolutely arrest ICE agents and take away their drivers licenses. Federal agents CAN be arrested for committing crimes and there is no constitutional right to drive.

    Swallwell, made it clear if ICE is caught going beyond their official duty, which is often, they can be arrested. The mask and ID issue can be enforced. State police can claim ICE agents are fake and must prove they are legit. If they refuse they can assume they are not and arrest for impersonating a federal agent. Lots of options it seems.

    1. Turley sure loves to exaggerate and mislead. … X sure loves to exaggerate and mislead. Fixed it. You’re welcome!

    2. george
      Swallwell, made it clear if ICE is caught going beyond their official duty,
      _________________________________
      Where have we heard this lie before. Don’t follow UN-lawfull orders.

    3. X –

      That is a LOT of wrong within only 2 paragraphs! You’ve built it all on 2 incorrect premises: 1) That the state has the authority to DETERMINE if an ICE agent has gone beyond their official duty (hint, they don’t – see the Supremacy Clause), and 2) that a driver’s license can willy nilly be taken away (hint – it cannot, it is considered property and therefore requires a valid constitutional process for taking property).

      Nothing you listed is a viable option. “The mask and ID issue can be enforced.” No, it cannot if the federal government states that the mask is part of the uniform and ICE need not identify itself. “State police can claim…” again with this nonsense! You are embodying JT’s comparison of George Wallace! But we all have known that the Democrats never changed.

      Back to the license. You cannot simply take away a license or permit once issued. Theoretically they could suspend it pending a trial on the merits. But would need to be careful on what grounds they attempted too. “I don’t like your job” would be an extremely unconstitutional way to deprive someone of property. Although Dems have attempted to kick candidates off the ballot (and many times succeed) and even deprived people of their right to vote because they didn’t like their race. So, attempting to do this little thing wouldn’t surprise me.

      1. Anonymous, all it takes is for one ICE agent to do something stupid and get caught on video. They are so confident in their “immunity” that they don’t think they won’t get prosecuted. Make no mistake. An ICE agent CAN get arrested if they are caught assaulting or going beyond their mandate. It’s easy to go too far and it takes a sharp cop to spot it. If an agent resists it’s an automatic resisting arrest. They can easily escalate charges once they start getting out of hand.

    4. Name one “crime” ICE has committed. Tell us when ICE has “gone beyond their official duty”

      “There is no constitutional right to drive”. So are you saying that in Mississippi the state can take away the licenses of Planned Parenthood operators? Can Florida State Police arrest the FBI when they are raiding an ex-president’s home? Can they assume they are “impersonating a federal agent”? Can Utah arrest IRS Agents? Could Texas have arrested Biden’s Border Patrol for NOT doing their job?

      X is the same guy (George) who defended Biden over and over again and look how that turned out for him. Now he is in Swalwell’s corner?!?!?!? They will side with anyone in order to virtue signal to the radical left.

      Just once I would like to see this contrarian moron say “gee, you know what, Turley is right on this situation”.

      1. Calling someone a moron, you’re playing nice again I see.
        Just love seeing “adults” having a respectful argument.

      2. HullBobby,
        With all do respect, she will never admit the good professor is right.
        As I usually say, generally it is best to just scroll past. Listen to the village fool once to learn they are a fool, then do not waste your time listening to a fool again.

    5. Is it criminal to mask in California? I have seen many masked protesters NOT being arrested by police, California was a big promoter of mask mandates, so I don’t imagine there’s any such law.

      As for other potential “crimes,” federal LEOs enjoy a great deal of latitude under sovereign immunity.

      1. California just passed a law banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks. But that’s enforceable only against state and local officers, not federal ones.

        At least as Newsome explained it, ICE agents would not be arrested on the spot for wearing masks. Instead they would be identified from video and charged after the event. So there’d be no interfering or obstruction. But the flaw is that as soon as the charges are filed they would be removed to federal court, and dismissed there because there’s no equivalent federal law.

    6. “Turley sure loves to exaggerate and mislead.” It’s x: once again projecting his personal stock in trade onto his host here, who he hates with the heat of a thousand Soviet Chernobel reactors. BBBBUUUTTT… MUH TURLEY!!!!

    7. X projects: Turley sure loves to exaggerate and mislead.

      Swalwell Protégé Alert!!!! X is now cosplaying that HE’S the new Swalwell – exaggerating, misleading, and lying about Professor Turley, just as Swalwell has made a career about doing the same about the fictional and felonious Clinton/Obama “Trump-Russia Dossier”. Which X (then George), desperately lied and mislead about on this forum for years, just as Swalwell was doing as his mentor.

      X absolutely loathes and hates Professor Turley with the heat of a thousand suns… it’s another day of BBBBUUUTTTT…. MUH TURLEY!!!!!

      The overwhelming singular failure of the American republic rights and freedoms experiment has been voters allowing the continued existence of the vile and violent, seditious DNC and their equally vile members like Swalwell and his protégé X, The Racist Democrat Communist Formerly Known As George.

    8. Wrong on all counts. Federal agents while engaged in their official duties are immune from state law. The state CANNOT dictate what they may or may not wear. If a state policeman tries to interfere in a federal operation by demanding ID, the policeman will be arrested, not the agent.

      if ICE is caught going beyond their official duty, which is often,

      Really? When has ICE ever gone beyond their official duty? Their duty is to arrest illegal aliens wherever they may find them. What have they done that goes beyond that?

  9. Swalwell, like all Demorats, wants to prevent illegal invader trespassers from apprehension so the invaders can avoid being held accountable for their unlawful acts. And he will use California taxpayer money to do it. He will work for the invaders rather than improve the lives of working class California citizens.

    It is entirely appropriate that the Demorat Party has the name of vermin conveniently embedded in it.

  10. I like the George Wallace comparison. There are so many D’s from the past, starting with John C. Calhoun up to Lester Maddox, Faubus, and George, who took similar paths.

  11. The saddest part is that for all his blowhard talking, affair, and other miserable actions, he will still get a pension check every month.

    1. Just like hundreds of other retired congress-people.
      So you think, that his politics should determine whether he gets a pension or not.
      What if that were done with your SS payments based on your hateful internet comment?

  12. On June 4, 2025 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries threatened to dox ICE agents, which would place not only the agents, but also their families at risk. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but didn’t ICE agents start wearing masks shortly thereafter?

  13. The least thing ICE Agents fear is Swallowell…..as he has less chance of becoming President than I do and the only thing I am running for is the White Porcelain chair in my reading room.

  14. Wonderful little piece Professor, and you did it without mentioning Fang Fang even once. Personally, I’m waiting to hear his plan to bring in Chinese tanks to rumble down Rodeo Drive to chase the ICE bad guys out of town.

        1. And why don’t you explain the applicable “history”?
          Knowing you’re the resident idiot, I don’t expect a coherent response.
          Now who’s the stupid one?

            1. Yes, I know Dustoff is slow. Now are we still on for our Grindr date tonight? I have a hot new Furry sex outfit that will make you forget your dreams of a threesome with Eric and Fang Fang!

          1. Try looking up the history of China. (Using tanks) I guess you are either to young or schooled failed you.

          2. Learn some history moron
            ______________
            NEW YORK (June 4, 2025) — Today marks the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, when the Chinese regime unleashed tanks and armed troops to crush a peaceful student movement demanding freedom and democracy. The brutal crackdown shocked the world and continues to cast a long shadow over China’s appalling human rights record.

              1. Ano

                Did your read the other comments? I’m guessing not. Now you look like a fool.
                ___________________________
                Wonderful little piece Professor, and you did it without mentioning Fang Fang even once. Personally, I’m waiting to hear his plan to bring in Chinese tanks to rumble down Rodeo Drive to chase the ICE bad guys out of town.

                1. Dustoff you are truly a piece of work. I’m voting for you as the dumbest (can’t comprehend sarcasm if it kicked him in the a$$) commenter on Turley’s blog in 2025. Can’t wait for 2026.

              2. So you’re saying Swallwell was driving a tank in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

                So you’re saying that the ChiCom’s spy, Fang Fang, didn’t influence Swalwell to tell all the lies he spouted about the fictional and felonious “Russia Dossier” while she was bedding him while he was on a Congressional intelligence oversight committee?

                Or are you simply saying that Swalwell actually had our intelligence agencies vet her to ensure she wasn’t driving one of those ChiCom tanks at Tienanmen Square – and just forgot to ask them to vet her to ensure she wasn’t a ChiCom spy before he crawled into her commie honeypot bed?

          3. Tiananmen Square, 1989, as if you didn’t know, j@ck@$$. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were driving one of the tanks, or at least aspired to be in that position of power…

  15. “Swalwell will promise chaos and confrontation … and many California voters will love him for it.”. Of course, CA’ers (the rich white ones) just love Hollywood political dramas.

    Swallwell: “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.”

  16. Word Salad Kamala has a better chance of being elected Governor of California than a wife cheating Chinese spy, and she isn’t even running.

  17. This clear fascism needs to be fought, or America will fall. Swalwell and his cronies are lustful for power (and Chinese spies, but mostly for power). They are willing to destroy America, just as fascists have always destroyed their countries in their quest for power.

        1. All three exist still. GY is socialist (“Fascist” by idiots like you), SU, now 15 different republics, all socialist (“fascist” to idiots such as you), and good ole Italy, socialist, and yes, “fascist ” to idiots such as you. So what’s changed? Destroyed? Hardly, just expanded from 3 nations to 17. Fascism still lives on is all 17.

          Please do some research, please.

        2. I missed this one 12/31 7:08AM which research were you asking for?
          1. Germany – National Socialist German Workers Party (NDSAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei)
          2. Soviet Union – United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) or;
          3. Italy – Italian Social Republic (Dissolved after WWII)

          1. Do note the term socialist and social in all those countries. To the locals that means fascist. And BTW, those are political parties not nations. I hope I didn’t miss anything. At yet they still exist as socialist nations in expanded form.

      1. “And what countries were those, please?”
        If you can not even master Google, how can you expect to ever get out of the basement?

        1. So you need google to think, respond? You obviously haven’t mastered independent “thinking”. Did I get that right, you implied that google your “master”? Sounds S&M to me.
          As for the basement, put you underwear back on and go to library. ASAP.

          1. No!! You prove you don’t have to even think to respond! And you may call that “independent “thinking”, but many others would not be so kind. So be careful!
            And since you appear to confuse/conflate terms like ‘socialist’ and ‘fascist’ perhaps you should just go full Monty basement dweller and use all terms interchangeable with ‘id’. That would fit well with your stated “sounds” and clothing associations. But be careful, your Democrat perv tendencies are showing.

  18. “It is like a game of chicken where Swalwell immediately drives off the cliff before anyone gets into their cars.”

    Thanks for the chuckle. Good one. And so true.

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