By Chris Pierce
FAIR
Several states have introduced legislation that would prohibit certain former federal immigration officers from working in state or local law enforcement. While each proposal differs slightly in structure, the underlying concept is similar – disqualifying individuals from state public-safety employment solely because they previously served as federal law enforcement officers for agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On May 5, the Rhode Island State Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 2479. This legislation prohibits law enforcement agencies from employing any sworn ICE officer who was hired on or after January 20, 2025.
Like Rhode Island’s bill, Washington State introduced House Bill 2641 which would have also prohibited state and local law enforcement agencies from hiring individuals who were hired as sworn ICE officers after January 20, 2025. The bill received a hearing in the House Committee on Community Safety at the end of January followed by an executive session at the beginning of February. However, the Committee decided not to act on it. Maryland’s bill, HB 832, which also barred state law-enforcement agencies from hiring individuals first employed as sworn ICE officers on or after January 20, 2025, also died in Committee.
In Colorado, HB 1275 proposed denying police certification to anyone currently or previously employed by ICE or CBP through the state Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board. That proposal was rejected by the House Judiciary Committee.
Illinois Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) who sponsored SB 2820, which prohibits Illinois law-enforcement agencies from hiring individuals who worked as federal immigration officers with ICE between January 2025 and January 2029, argued these types of bills are necessary, saying, “Police officers occupy positions of public trust. Given widespread concern over ICE’s violent tactics, allowing current ICE agents to police local communities undermines that trust and should be prohibited.” While the bill was introduced in January and referred to the Assignments Committee, it has received no further action, and the Illinois legislature is scheduled to adjourn at the end of May.
California Assembly Bill (AB) 1627, introduced by Assemblywoman Anamarie Avila Farias (D- Contra Costa), resembles the Illinois legislation by disqualifying individuals from employment in state law-enforcement agencies or public education positions if they worked for ICE between September 1, 2025, and January 20, 2029. However, AB 1627 goes further by prohibiting the employment of law enforcement officers from other states if they engaged in immigration enforcement. The Assembly Public Safety Committee passed the bill on April 22 by a vote of 6-2 and on May 6, there was a hearing scheduled in the Appropriations Committee.
Although these proposals vary in scope, they share a common premise – imposing categorical employment restrictions on individuals based solely on prior federal service with immigration-enforcement agencies. Such policies replace traditional merit-based hiring practices with discriminatory exclusions tied not to an officer’s training, performance history, or disciplinary record, but to the federal agency for which they worked.
FAIR asserts that proposals like these set a terrible precedent of disqualifying individuals solely for having served in lawful federal positions which risks undermining professional standards in law enforcement hiring and discouraging experienced officers from continuing careers in public service.
