“Or What?” Essayli Ridicules Gavin Newsom’s ICE Weapon Bans

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office spent Tuesday celebrating a package of bills aimed at what it called President Trump’s “Orwellian immigration tactics used to terrorize people.” The rollout portrayed Sacramento as a force standing against federal immigration enforcement.

The package includes the first ban in the nation on shock gloves, plus new limits on flash-bang grenades and explosive breaching charges used during immigration enforcement. Newsom’s office promoted the legislation as a way to restrict the tactics and equipment available to federal officers operating in California.

Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District, was not impressed by the governor’s legislative flex. He responded on X by directly challenging Newsom’s authority to regulate federal agents.

“Governor, we’ve been through this already. If you want to regulate federal agents, you have to win a federal election.” Essayli wrote the message after Newsom’s office touted the newly signed measures.

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“Until then, you have no jurisdiction,” Essayli continued. His response framed the dispute as a straightforward question of whether California officials can control the conduct of federal agents.

Essayli also said he had advised the Department of Homeland Security to disregard California’s shock glove ban. That made his position clear, regardless of how enthusiastically Newsom’s press office promoted the package.

Governor, we’ve been through this already. If you want to regulate federal agents, you have to win a federal election. Until then, you have no jurisdiction.

Accordingly, I have advised DHS to disregard your bill attempting to ban safe and effective less-lethal tools that agents… https://t.co/zDqvn3j8Qx

— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) September 29, 2026

Newsom’s team then highlighted the restrictions on other enforcement tools in a separate X post. “[Governor] Gavin Newsom just signed a bill that puts restrictions on the use of flash-bang grenades and explosive breaching charges, including in immigration-enforcement activities,” his press team bragged.

Essayli answered with a short taunt that cut through the political posturing. “Or what?” he asked, before adding, “You’re going to write us a ticket?”

Or what? You’re going to write us a ticket. https://t.co/h3HCwwO3tS

— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) September 29, 2026

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The dispute comes as the Department of Homeland Security moves to spend up to $20 million on shock gloves for ICE agents. RedState’s Teri Christoph reported in August that officers could use the equipment to deliver an electric jolt when someone resists detention.

The gloves remain inactive until an officer presses a switch. Supporters compare the resulting jolt to a bee sting intended to break resistance without requiring a prolonged physical confrontation.

The equipment was described as essentially a more efficient taser. Democrats, however, quickly compared the shock gloves to medieval torture devices such as the rack and the iron maiden.

Democrat Rep. Sara Jacobs of California offered one of the sharpest reactions to the proposed purchase. “This is torture,” Jacobs said.

“No more money for ICE or Border Patrol. Instead, we need to dismantle and overhaul them,” Jacobs continued. Her response went beyond opposing the gloves and called for sweeping action against the agencies themselves.

Newsom defended California’s package as a response to federal conduct. “This is about stepping up where the federal government has failed our communities,” Newsom said.

“We will continue protecting our people, upholding the rule of law, and making clear that if the federal government operates in California, we will hold them accountable.” His declaration put accountability at the center of California’s argument, even as Essayli dismissed the state’s authority over federal personnel.

House Homeland Security Democrats also urged Secretary Markwayne Mullin to stop the shock glove purchase. Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi claimed ICE had already shown troubling conduct with other equipment.

“ICE has demonstrated a pattern of misusing tools and devices, including rubber bullets and chemical sprays, in manners that put the public at greater risk of serious injury or death,” Thompson wrote. The criticism focused on possible harm from enforcement tools rather than the resistance that agents could encounter during detention.

The counterargument is that public safety suffers when illegal aliens are permitted to remain on the streets of American cities. From that perspective, a jolt compared to a bee sting is hardly the outrage Democrats have portrayed while federal officers are attempting to take resistant individuals into custody.

School resource officers are using the same technology on unruly teenagers. If that equipment is considered available in schools, the argument goes, federal immigration agents should also be able to use it to control criminals resisting detention.

For now, Newsom has his package of restrictions, and Essayli has his blunt answer. California can promote the bans, but Essayli’s response suggests federal officers will not be waiting around for Sacramento to hand them a ticket.

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