Antonio Villaraigosa said he will sign executive orders against ICE if elected governor

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released a plan to defend Californians against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), regardless of immigration status, if he’s elected governor later this year. 

Villaraigosa is one of at least two dozen candidates who will be fighting for the governor's seat during the primaries on June 2, 2026. The names range from prominent figures to ordinary residents, all wanting to make a change. 

With the non-stop massive raids and strong opposition to ICE tactics, Villaraigosa created a plan – which includes a 30-second ad in mainstream media, cable and digital platforms – to stop ICE misconduct, excessive violence, shootings and illegal raids.

Villaraigosa said if he gets elected, he will sign a series of emergency executive orders launching an ICE Accountability Plan on his first day in office. 

“Because Californians deserve safety, transparency and the rule of law,” said Villaraigosa in a statement. “We will ensure that misconduct is documented, investigated and addressed, and that ICE enforcement actions do not endanger lives nor compromise our basic civil rights.”

While ICE is a federal agency and states cannot stop or block them, they can create rules or legislation to limit their actions in local communities. 

The four executive orders

The Stop ICE plan includes establishing a coordinated multi-agency detention facility task force, comprised of representatives from the California Department of Industrial Relations/Cal/OSHA, CA Department of Public Health (CDPH), Office of the State Fire Marshal, CA Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and local personnel from County Public Health Departments, County Environmental Health, Building and Safety inspectors and the Consumer Protection Division.

A second order intends to protect children in immigration custody from neglect and abuse by coordinating with county social workers, juvenile courts and child advocates to ensure every child in immigration custody receives California's child welfare protections. 

The third executive order will create an ICE misconduct prevention and accountability order to protect Californians from immigration enforcement agent misconduct, abuse and excessive force.

The fourth executive order aims to protect Californians from illegal ICE raids without warrants in six critical locations: schools, places of worship, homes, workplaces, hospitals and courthouses.

“Donald Trump’s ICE thugs are out of control. As governor, I’ll end this cruelty,” said Villaraigosa. “No more illegal raids in churches and schools, no more excessive violence and shootings and no more arrests without a judicial warrant. Enough is enough.”

The challenge

As the conversation on ICE and its tactics broadens, so does the possibility of continuing to fund it or not. This week, Congress is trying to negotiate the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, which oversees several agencies, including ICE. 

Advocates such as the National Law Immigration Center (NLIC) are asking Congress to refuse to give any money to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through the appropriations process. 

If a vote is not made by Feb. 13, there will likely be a “mini” federal government shutdown primarily affecting agencies like TSA, FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Secret Service. Because ICE and CBP  were funded already last summer through the One Big Beautiful Bill, they will be minimally impacted.