A Democratic lawmaker from California is targeting individuals aiming for jobs in essential public service sectors by proposing a ban on those currently employed as ICE agents, citing concerns over “immorality.”

Assembly Bill 1627 seeks to prevent individuals who are serving as ICE agents under the Trump administration from applying for positions within any state or local police agencies in California.

The proposed legislation would also restrict current ICE agents from taking on roles within the state’s education system, including positions as teachers or administrators. If enacted, this restriction would apply to all public school districts and charter schools, covering everything from kindergarten through the California State University system.

Assembly member Anamarie Ávila Farias, a Democrat from Martinez, put forward this bill shortly after federal agents in Minneapolis fatally shot Alex Pretti.

On January 23, 2026, hundreds of anti-ICE protestors gathered in San Francisco to express their support for Minneapolis. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Beginning in 2025, [ICE] officers have terrorized California residents, United States citizens and noncitizens alike, through untargeted arrests and brutality based on nothing more than a person’s racial appearance, language spoken, means of earning a living, or exercise of First Amendment-protected expression,” the bill states. 

The bill goes on to pinpoint ICE agents who took up their positions after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. 

“Participating in the operations of [ICE] on or after January 20, 2025, demonstrates an immorality that California cannot afford to have in its ranks of peace officers, teachers, and other public employees whose duties include interacting with the public.”

Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement officers investigate a shooting involving a federal agent in Willowbrook, California, on Jan. 21, 2026. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Farias did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The move comes as police departments within the state are continuing to grapple with staffing shortages, according to data compiled by the Peace Officers Research Association of California. 

The 2025 report states that law enforcement agencies throughout California have lost over 3,300 sworn officers and 400 civilian staff since 2020, with an average of 10% of policing roles remaining unfilled in the state.

Residents and registered nurses from Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center hold a vigil for Alex Pretti, a registered nurse who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 28, 2026, in San Pedro, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

In addition to AB 1627, several other California lawmakers have proposed anti-ICE legislation amid heightened nationwide tension following increased deportation efforts throughout the country. 

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has said he would aim to restrict ICE agents from holding any state job if elected California governor, while also adding he would confiscate the driver’s licenses of federal agents in the state who wear facial coverings while on duty, according to FOX 2. 

Similarly, state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, proposed a bill that would make it easier for California residents to sue federal agents accused of violating their constitutional rights.

State Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, has also reportedly publicly pushed for a bill that would tax private ICE detention centers within the state as a way to discourage companies from building new facilities. 

Earlier this week, state Assembly member Alex Lee, D-San Jose, announced he is planning to introduce legislation that would effectively end state tax breaks for companies that have contractual agreements with ICE, FOX 2 reported.

Several counties throughout the Bay Area have also reportedly made efforts to create ICE-free zones within the state. 

AB 1627 is set to be heard in committee as soon as Feb. 26 before needing approval from both legislative houses and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sign-off to become law.