Democrats in several states are pushing for measures to limit how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers behave while carrying out their operations.
This comes after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Her death led to national protests against President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which involves aggressive immigration enforcement operations in blue cities.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is backing a bill that would allow people to sue federal officials who violate their constitutional rights. This is already allowed for state and local officials, but not federal.
In her State of the State address, Hochul explained that the measure “doesn’t interfere with lawful enforcement or public safety,” but “affirms a core truth: Power does not justify abuse.”
She added, “And if someone’s constitutional rights are violated here in the state of New York, I say they deserve their day in court.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed legislation that would allow New York residents to sue ICE agents in state court for civil rights violations, an escalation of efforts by Democratic-led states to rein in the agency. https://t.co/kew4S33UQm
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 14, 2026
New Jersey lawmakers passed three bills aimed at limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. They would designate schools, c ourts, health care facilities, and churches as “sensitive locations” where people “should not be deterred from seeking services.”
Another bill would prohibit state agenices from sharing sensitive personal data with federal immigration authorities and further restrict local assistance with ICE operations.
The New Jersey Legislature has passed a bill that prohibits ICE from detaining individuals solely based on their immigration status, restricts ICE access to jails, and limits the sharing of related data.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 15, 2026
pic.twitter.com/BwkiIIyxKj
California has already passed similar laws and its lawmakers are advancing the No Kings Act, which enables residents to sue federal officers for violating the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments. “This bill makes one simple principle real again, that no one is above the Constitution,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat.
This is what it should look like they banned ice from wearing masks in California. I’m not saying this man’s arrest was warranted. I don’t know the personal situation but with no mask the situation was calm. The temperature was tone down. pic.twitter.com/1zkcWLpByH
— Renee Dale (@rendale) January 14, 2026
A recent YouGov/Economist poll revealed that most Americans heard about Renee Good’s shooting. About 50 percent believe the shooting was not justified while 30 percent believe it was justified. A larger portion of Americans (46 percent) support abolishing ICE, compared to 43 percent who oppose the idea.
https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/53878-more-americans-view-ice-shooting-minnesota-unjustified-than-justified-january-9-12-2026-economist-yougov-poll
The poll also revealed that 52 percent of Americans oppose how ICE carries out its operations while only 39 percent approve.