Dem state lawmaker moves to bar former ICE agents from local police jobs in Washington

A Democratic lawmaker in Washington state has introduced legislation that would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from hiring anyone who has served as a sworn US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The bill, dubbed the ICE Out Act of 2026, was introduced this week by Rep. Tarra Simmons, a Kitsap County Democrat and ex-convict, who has built her legislative career around criminal justice reform. If passed, the measure would effectively blacklist former ICE officers hired during Trump’s second administration from joining Washington police departments, sheriffs’ offices, or other state law enforcement agencies.

“In this Washington, we have worked incredibly hard to build trust between law enforcement and community,” Simmons said in a press release announcing the bill. “In most Washington agencies, the men and women who step up to serve have developed a culture of holding each other accountable to the highest professional standards. The last thing we need is infiltration of ICE agents trained during the Trump Administration to send us backwards.”

Simmons argued that the legislation is not intended to undermine public safety staffing, but rather to shape the culture of policing in the state. “Law enforcement recruitment is paramount — we need more officers,” she said. “However, we expect those officers to earn the trust and respect of the communities they live in, not act as an occupying force. This bill is designed to prevent those sorts of dangerous tactics from becoming part of the culture of policing in Washington state.”

In her press release, Simmons sharply criticized ICE, accusing the agency of routinely using “inhumane and violent tactics” during enforcement operations. “Headlines, citizen-captured video, and stories from community members have documented the inhumane and violent tactics ICE agents use to carry out a sinister dragnet operation,” the statement reads. “Agents have been seen breaking the windows of people’s vehicles, snatching individuals off our streets and out of our communities, accessing state data to track people down, detaining undocumented folks, student visa holders, legal green-card residents, and US citizens alike without cause, and even shooting and killing legal observers in broad daylight.”

The proposal mirrors legislation introduced in Maryland, where a similar bill is known as the ICE Breaker Act. In Washington, Simmons’ bill currently lists just one co-sponsor: Rep. Shaun Scott, a Seattle socialist. The ICE Out Act arrives alongside other Democratic-backed policing legislation this session, including a proposal to prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty.
 

Rep. Brian Burnett (R-Chelan), a former Chelan County Sheriff with over 25 years in law enforcement, said this discriminatory legislation is the wrong direction for the safety of Washington state families and communities. "HB 2641 is a discriminatory proposal that moves Washington in the wrong direction at a time when public safety and recruitment are already under strain. Washington ranks last in the nation for law enforcement officers per capita, yet this bill would arbitrarily shrink an already limited recruiting pool by barring qualified professionals based solely on prior federal service. That approach does nothing to improve accountability or trust."

"In reality, the natural career path in law enforcement almost always runs from local agencies to federal service, not the other way around. Former federal officers seeking to return to local policing bring experience, training, and a commitment to lawful service that should be evaluated on individual merit, not political litmus tests. We should be focused on strengthening collaboration, supporting officers who carry out their legal duties, and rebuilding our law enforcement workforce, not advancing policies that weaken it further."

Simmons is one of the Legislature’s most outspoken advocates for reducing penalties for people convicted of crimes. She has said her advocacy stems from serving time in prison. Simmons was convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of controlled substances and retail theft. She previously attempted to pass legislation that would allow incarcerated felons, including those convicted of violent crimes, to vote, serve on juries, and run for public office while still in prison.

Simmons also sponsored House Bill 2177, which proposed changes to the state’s sex offender policy board that critics argued would require victims of sex offenses to serve alongside sex offenders on the same advisory body. Before the last legislative session, she pre-filed a bill that would have granted judges expanded clemency powers to unilaterally reduce sentences for violent offenders years after conviction, even if the underlying facts of the case had not changed.

In 2023, Simmons was unsuccessful in passing legislation that would have reduced penalties for drive-by shootings, a proposal she said was intended to promote “racial equity” in the criminal justice system.