Senators override governor's veto of memorial urging limits on ICE agents' firearms

Delegates on the Senate floor voted to override the governor's veto and approved a memorial that requests federal limits on ICE agents carrying firearms while on duty.

The memorial's proponent, Bridal Lee of the Saudi Selection delegation, said the measure seeks to reduce unnecessary escalation during civil immigration enforcement and protect community safety, arguing that "ICE is to look for civil violations" and therefore should not routinely carry lethal weapons for operations she described as nonmilitary. Proponents framed the measure as a targeted request that would ask the Department of Homeland Security to restrict firearms for civil enforcement rather than abolish enforcement.

Opponents warned that removing firearms could hamper agents' ability to perform certain duties and pushed for reforms focused on training and oversight instead. A governor's cabinet representative told the chamber the administration supports reform but argued the memorial did not address training and other systemic problems, saying the proposal "doesn't address the reform that is needed within ICE" and risked leaving agents without the resources they need to do their jobs.

The floor debated whether the memorial is symbolic or would create operational problems; speakers on both sides emphasized human-safety concerns. Proponents pointed to accounts of force and to the prospect that limiting firearms would reduce deadly escalations in low-risk encounters. Opponents pointed out alternatives such as improved training and internal oversight.

The presiding officer noted that overriding the veto required a two-thirds majority; the body proceeded to a vote and recorded that the veto override passed. The transcript does not include a complete roll-call tally in the record available.

What happens next: the memorial is nonbinding and asks federal authorities to consider firearm restrictions; it does not impose state-level penalties or operational rules. The measure's passage signals the chamber's intent and may be forwarded to federal officials and to the public as a formal request.

Reported action: the chamber voted to override a gubernatorial veto and approved the memorial.

Sources: floor debate and the governor's veto statement read on the record (transcript segments for opening and closing arguments and the veto statement).