DHS probes Swalwell over alleged illegal nanny hire, immigration records show

Federal immigration officials were examining allegations that Rep. Eric Swalwell hired a nanny who was not legally authorized to work in the United States, a claim that raises questions about household employment rules, campaign spending and how those standards apply to elected officials.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it had been “collecting information” and referred the matter to Department of Homeland Security law enforcement. In reporting cited on the case, DHS said, “no one is above the law, including a member of Congress.” The review centered on a complaint filed with DHS in February that alleged the nanny entered the country in 2021 on an au pair visa and that her work authorization expired in 2022.

Reports identified the nanny as Amanda Raissa Barbosa and said she appeared in social media photos with the Swalwell family in 2023 and 2024, suggesting she may have remained involved in childcare after the visa-based authorization ended. One report said Swalwell and his wife, Brittany Swalwell, used campaign funds to reimburse child-care expenses and that payments to the nanny totaled tens of thousands of dollars between 2021 and 2022. Another report said a permanent labor certification was approved in 2024.

The immigration inquiry arrives as Swalwell, a California Democrat and candidate for governor, faces separate political damage from an unrelated assault allegation involving a former staffer. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it was investigating that claim, and more than 50 former staffers reportedly signed a letter describing the allegations as serious and credible while urging Swalwell to resign and abandon his campaign.

The overlapping matters leave Swalwell under scrutiny on two different fronts: whether his household complied with federal employment law, and whether the separate accusations involving a former staffer will continue to erode support as he seeks statewide office. For public officials, immigration compliance questions can carry added weight because they involve not only private household hiring but also campaign records, reimbursement practices and the expectation that elected leaders follow the same workplace rules imposed on other employers.