Top DOJ official blasts Swalwell for suggesting he could charge ICE agents: 'Not possible'

"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," Dhillon says

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: January 4, 2026 11:35am

Updated: January 4, 2026 11:36am

A top U.S. Department of Justice official blasts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., for suggesting he could charge Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if he is elected as California governor.

"What’s even dumber about this is that Swalwell has a law degree and he even once made a living as a prosecutor," wrote Harmeet Dhillon, U.S. assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, on Friday.

"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," she added.