California Gubernatorial Democrat Candidate Tom Steyer Reveals Plans to Jail ICE Agents

With Swalwell out of the race, Steyer is now the leading Democrat.

Of course, the California Teacher’s Union endorses Steyer for Governor.

In the latest poll from Emerson, Steyer is three points behind the leader, Republican Steve Hilton. Steyer is hard left—and is showing no signs of pivoting to the center. Fox 40: As Democratic candidates make moves to solidify their support ahead of the gubernatorial primary, Tom Steyer released a new plan that would take drastic steps to combat ICE — including jailing agents. The progressive billionaire candidate published a blog post Tuesday outlining his plan to push back against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He said it’s not enough for Democrats to “simply engage in rhetoric” and claim to stand against President Donald Trump’s administration. Steyer compared his plan to the way law enforcement fought the mob and called the federal agency a “violent extremist group.” “California must build a system that fights fire with fire,” he said. “To stop this authoritarian takeover, we must counter ICE head-on, and go after both their agents on the streets and their leadership within the Department of Homeland Security” (Fox 40).

California Gov. Candidate Tom Steyer Pledges to Open Borders and Arrest ICE Agents

Tom Steyer, right, speaks beside Tony Thurmond during a gubernatorial candidate forum on LAP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

By: Warner Todd Huston, Breitbart, April 15, 2026:

Tom Steyer, the now top polling Democrat for California governor, has unveiled his extremely radical, open-door, anti-ICE immigration platform as he continues his run for the state’s top office.

The hedge fund billionaire, who was polling poorly until the media targeted Eric Swalwell for a sacrifice to revitalize the Democratic field for the governor’s race, released his immigration pledges on Tuesday with a five-point plan that is far more left-wing and radical than the current governor’s, who himself is a left-wing radical on immigration.

The 68-year-old founder of Farallon Capital Management turned radical environmentalist posted his intentions to nullify all federal immigration laws, jail federal immigration law enforcement officers, and return deported individuals back to the U.S.

NEW: CA gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer (D) releases an immigration platform that is radically left of Gov. Newsom. It includes:

– Abolish ICE
– Put ICE agents in jail & “treat them like the mob”.
– Bring those “kidnapped & detained by ICE back home.”
– Give CA AG power to… https://t.co/XqM8eK7Hhf

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 14, 2026

Steyer’s immigration plan includes the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in California and would attempt to jail ICE agents and their superiors whom Steyer thinks are breaking his rules.

He also thinks he has the power as a governor to go to foreign countries, gather up people who have been deported, and bring them back to the U.S.A.

The billionaire went on to pledge to ignore any U.S. Supreme Court rulings that he does not like.

Steyer claimed, “Each point builds on one another to create a comprehensive strategy that gives the State of California the power it needs to take on ICE and win.”

The candidate’s first bullet point made the claim that ICE uses “racial profiling” to arrest illegal migrants and to target them for deportation. This, he claims, is against California statutes that “outlaws any law enforcement agency from profiling anyone based on their race.” He pledged to enforce these statutes against federal immigration officers.

With his second policy, he pledged to “give the state Attorney General the authority to hold ICE’s leadership accountable for violence.”

“My plan will pursue supervisory liability. This body of law empowers the California justice system to criminally prosecute and imprison not just the ICE agents who are committing these crimes, but the leadership directing them to do so,” he claimed, not explaining how any state law could supersede federal authority.

Sanctuary now, sanctuary tomorrow, sanctuary forever! https://t.co/nqE6Qwcyxf

— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) April 15, 2026

His third policy pledge is to set up a special branch of the state attorney general’s office to pursue “evidence” that will lead to the prosecution of federal immigration officers, again without addressing federal supremacy issues.

Next he revealed he thinks a state governor can reverse federal deportation rulings and said he’d use state money to send representatives to foreign countries then pay to fly deported illegals back into California, saying, “I will bring those detained and kidnapped by ICE back home,” and says he will “assist and help those who have been imprisoned without due process.”

Finally, he pledged to use more state tax dollars to train illegals to “know their rights” so they can fight against being held accountable for breaking U.S. immigration laws, backed by California tax dollars in the process.

“I will launch a massive statewide ‘Know Your Rights’ public education and public awareness campaign,” Steyer pledged. “Every Californian, regardless of their immigration status, should know their constitutional and legal rights if you are stopped, detained, or questioned by ICE agents, if you are assembled to protest against ICE, if you are filming ICE agent activities, or if you witness unlawful and illegal actions perpetrated by ICE agents.”

Steyer claimed there is “solid legal foundation for California to expand these protections and prosecute ICE agents for breaking the law.” He added, “California should take matters into our own hands. California can extend these legal protections to its residents, despite the federal government’s failure.”

He then insisted, “Extending these protections is a major step forward. It targets the linchpin that holds together the entire ICE machine: their ability to weaponize their authority as federal agents to engage in racial profiling and racial violence.”

“Trump has turned ICE into a criminal enterprise, so let’s treat it as such,” he exclaimed. “As governor, I’ll go after ICE the way Eliot Ness and Joe Friday went after the Mob: bring them to justice by using their most basic crimes against them. For the Mob it was racketeering; for ICE it’s racial discrimination.”

Steyer concluded, writing, “On my watch, California will protect the most vulnerable and bring to justice those who break the law and brutalize our neighbors. We’ll let ICE know: in California, you obey our laws and respect our residents, or you go to jail.”

Finally, Steyer defended his announcement after Tesla funder Elon Musk took to X to write an astonished “Wow” over the radical policy suggestions.

“’Wow’ is right. ICE is a criminal organization. As governor, I’ll prosecute them like one,” the extremist Democrat posted.