As ICE agents ramp up activity around the country, Democratic state lawmakers in their second week of the legislative session continue to introduce legislation to push back against the agency's actions.

On Wednesday, Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, introduced the ICE Out Act of 2026, a proposal aimed at barring ICE agents from later becoming law enforcement officers in Washington state.

House Bill 2641 specifically applies to ICE agents who were hired after President Donald Trump began his second term on Jan. 20, 2025. Simmons told The Seattle Times that the reasoning for applying the law to only agents hired after that date is because of the way those agents have been trained and is not based on political affiliation.

“I think the people who are signing up to be part of this administration's immigration enforcement and the tactics they're using across Washington is really concerning, and I don't want people that are trained in that culture to come and infiltrate our culture,” Simmons said.

A similar proposal has been introduced in Maryland and is known as the ICE Breaker Act. Simmons said her constituents reached out to show her the legislation, which she believed has merit, and said her proposal is not about current law enforcement officers in the state. She added she respects officers in Washington communities.

While Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle, is currently listed as the only other lawmaker to sponsor the bill, Simmons said other Democratic lawmakers have already expressed support and plan to sign on as co-sponsors. The bill is not yet scheduled for a public hearing, but Simmons said it will be heard in the House Community Safety Committee, of which she is vice chair.

She added that she planned to have conversations with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs on Thursday about the legislation, and said she has expressed to them that the proposal is not meant to be disrespectful.

Not all lawmakers are on board with the idea.

Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, said he believed anyone who passes a polygraph, the required social media check for law enforcement and the “very thorough” background investigation — which can take up to six months — “deserves to serve as a law enforcement officer in Washington state.”

Lawmakers are also considering a bill this session to prohibit local, state and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks when interacting with the public in response to federal ICE agents seen in communities attempting to hide their identities. The proposal also creates a pathway for people detained by unlawfully masked officers to sue the officers. The legislation has wide Democratic support in both chambers, and Gov. Bob Ferguson has voiced his support.

Meanwhile, Congress plans to vote on final spending bills to increase federal funding for ICE.

If passed and signed by the governor, the ICE Out Act would go into effect Oct. 1, 2026.

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