Sen. Ed Markey (D‑MA) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D‑MA) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would eliminate qualified immunity protections for federal law enforcement officers.
The proposal, called the Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026, would allow individuals to bring civil claims against federal officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who they say engaged in misconduct or excessive force.
The lawmakers said the bill was prompted in part by the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37‑year‑old mother of three, who was killed last week by an ICE officer during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security says the officer used lethal force to protect himself from Good, who was driving her car into him.
“When masked ICE agents are allowed to kill and harm people with impunity, we have crossed a dangerous threshold in our nation,” Markey said in a statement.
Pressley accused federal agents of acting “emboldened by the Trump White House” and said Congress must intervene to ensure accountability. She said the legislation is intended to make clear that “when ICE agents break the law, they should and will be held accountable,” citing Good and other individuals killed in encounters with federal law enforcement.
Qualified immunity, created by the Supreme Court, protects government officials from personal liability unless a plaintiff can show that the official violated “clearly established” constitutional rights. The removal of qualified immunity would make federal officers prone to significant legal risks while doing their jobs.
