Eric Swalwell Calls to ‘Abolish ICE’ in California Governor Bid

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a contender in the 2026 California governor’s race, doubled down on radical open-border rhetoric Thursday by tweeting “Abolish ICE” while questioning why federal agents were assisting at airports during a partial government shutdown triggered by Senate colleagues blocking full Department of Homeland Security funding. 

“If our cities are so dangerous, why can we spare ICE officers to hand out water bottles at airports? Abolish ICE,” Swalwell posted on X, referring to ICE personnel helping to manage crowds and logistics at major airports as TSA staffing shortages stretched security lines to multiple hours.

If our cities are so dangerous, why can we spare ICE officers to hand out water bottles at airports?

Abolish
ICE

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 27, 2026

The statement comes as Swalwell campaigns to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in the “Jungle” June primary: officially California’s top-two primary system, in which all candidates from every party appear on a single ballot on June 2, 2026, and only the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Swalwell’s latest campaign pledge follows his January promise to prosecute and imprison ICE agents if elected.

In idealogical myopia, Swalwell parrots the same far-left priorities that have turned California into a sanctuary state magnet for criminal illegal aliens — the very problem ICE is designed to address through enforcement and removals.

However, recent polls show he’s struggling to break out among a crowded Democratic field while trailing or tying with two prominent Republicans. 

A late March poll funded by the California Democratic Party had conservative commentator Steve Hilton leading at 16% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 14%, with Swalwell, Katie Porter, and Tom Steyer each at 10%. 

Other surveys, including Emerson College polling, have shown Swalwell occasionally edging into the mid-teens but still competitive with or behind Hilton and Bianco. 

Swalwell has recently earned the endorsement of Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego. whose own family background includes a father who was a convicted drug dealer with ties to the drug trade — a connection that has drawn scrutiny in past campaigns regarding potential links to Mexican cartel activity.

Proud to have my friend and fellow fighter Sen. Ruben Gallego with me in this campaign.

We both come from working-class families — we both know what it means to hustle, to fight for every opportunity, and to never forget where you came from. pic.twitter.com/4Pr03P8RZQ

— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) March 26, 2026

The California Globe has long documented Swalwell’s vulnerability on national security and judgment issues, most notably his relationship with honeypot Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang — a suspected Chinese Communist Party intelligence operative who targeted rising California Democrats. 

Fang bundled campaign contributions for Swalwell’s 2014 reelection, helped place an intern in his congressional office, and developed a close personal relationship with him that included what multiple reports described as a romantic sexual affair. 

Swalwell was eventually briefed by the FBI, cut ties, and was later removed from the House Intelligence Committee by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the compromise concerns. He has repeatedly downplayed the episode while insisting he cooperated with investigators and committed no wrongdoing. 

As the California Globe reported in January 2026, Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign also accepted nearly $15,000 from the California office of a prominent Beijing-tied law firm with deep CCP connections — raising fresh questions about foreign influence in his political operation. 

Swalwell represents California’s 14th Congressional District, which covers much of the East Bay including Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, Union City, Castro Valley, and parts of Dublin and Fremont. While some communities in his district, such as portions of Hayward and San Leandro, face urban crime challenges, the broader East Bay region — including nearby Oakland, which lies outside his district — has been plagued by increasing violence exacerbated by the state’s sanctuary policies and limited cooperation with ICE. 

Oakland has repeatedly ranked among the most dangerous cities in America in recent surveys, with high rates of property crime, violent incidents, and homicides tied in part to the Biden Administration’s open-border policies and limited local-federal law enforcement collaboration. Northern California ICE arrest data from 2025 showed a surge in operations, yet sanctuary restrictions continue to hinder removals of individuals with violent criminal histories, including illegal alien murders and pedophiles.

Swalwell’s candidacy has also been dogged by a growing controversy over whether he even meets the state’s residency requirements to run for governor.

When he filed his statement of intention in November 2025, Swalwell listed only a Sacramento attorney’s office address — essentially a PO Box equivalent — rather than a personal residence. As the California Globe reported, public records and 14 years of congressional financial disclosures show no property ownership or lease in Swalwell’s own name in California. His voter registration lists a Livermore home belonging to relatives of a political mentor, but a formal lease at that address only appeared after a January 2026 legal challenge questioned his eligibility. 

On March 23, 2026, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne W.L. Chang dismissed a lawsuit filed by conservative filmmaker Joel Gilbert, who alleged Swalwell lives primarily in Washington, D.C. The judge ruled that the Secretary of State has no legal duty to investigate a candidate’s residency duration and that elected officials are “conclusively presumed” to reside at the address listed on their voter registration. Swalwell submitted evidence of a rental room in Livermore since 2017, supported by a landlord’s sworn affidavit. Gilbert’s case was further weakened by procedural errors that prevented him from arguing orally. Gilbert has vowed to appeal.

Separately, Swalwell recently dropped a federal lawsuit he filed against FHFA Director Bill Pulte accusing him of weaponizing mortgage records to fuel fraud allegations against the congressman.

Nonetheless, Swalwell’s “Abolish ICE” stance ignores reality and would imperil California families already dealing with the deadly and financial consequences of lax enforcement in a sanctuary state. His latest position fits a Democrat pattern of prioritizing ideology over results in a state where families continue to flee high taxes, failing schools, and unchecked crime. 

As he seeks the governorship, voters in the East Bay and across California may question whether a candidate compromised by a Chinese spy scandal and committed to dismantling federal immigration enforcement is equipped to lead the state after 16 years of one-party Democrat rule.