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Delegates pass bill to bar on-duty firearms for ICE agents after heated debate
Summary
After reconsidering a governor27s veto, the Youth Legislature passed a bill that would prohibit ICE agents from carrying firearms on duty; delegates debated training, federal authority, and alternatives such as tasers and coordination with police.
The Youth Legislature reconsidered a vetoed measure and voted to pass Veto Bill 0921, which seeks to prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from carrying firearms while on duty.
Why delegates debated it: The governor had issued a veto message prompting reconsideration. Supporters argued ICE performs civil immigration functions and receives substantially less weapons training than municipal police; they said removing firearms could reduce shootings and still allow civil enforcement to proceed with nonlethal tools or police assistance. Opponents warned that removing firearms is an imperfect fix, questioned operational consequences, and urged additional training or more targeted reforms.
Key testimony and points - Sponsor/Proponent (Gomez Trejo): framed the measure around protecting undocumented people and limiting lethal force in civil enforcement. "Undocumented immigrants make up a huge portion of the population here in The United States... They should not fear being murdered," the proponent said during opening remarks. - Supporters cited training differences: "ICE agents on average train for about 56 days to carry guns as opposed to police officers who train for months, even years," Amina Mohammed said, arguing shorter training supports action to restrict firearms. - Opponents urged alternative reforms including background checks and improved officer training; one delegate said removing guns from anyone who has committed a shooting would leave no officers.
Vote and procedural notes: Delegates debated at length and considered a motion to extend debate that failed. The chamber then voted to pass the bill on reconsideration. The transcript records that reconsideration requires a two-thirds threshold; the chair declared the bill passed but did not read a roll-call tally.
Why it matters: The vote highlights how student lawmakers engaged directly with questions about the role and tools of federal civil-enforcement agencies, training standards, and public-safety trade-offs. The measure raises implementation questions about federal-state jurisdiction and how local agencies would coordinate nonlethal enforcement.
Next steps: The measure was passed in the Youth Legislature chamber and will be entered in session minutes. The transcript records broad support and opposition and the procedural requirement that reconsideration needed a supermajority before passage.
(Quotes and outcomes derived from the session transcript.)
