WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington Senator Patty Murray (D) joined fellow Democrats Alex Padilla, of California, and Cory Booker, of New Jersey, to introduce a bill that would require U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents to display their identities, and stop wearing masks and plain clothes to try to protect their identities during enforcement operations.
The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement, or VISIBLE Act of 2025 is intended to strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for ICE enforcement tactics under the Trump Administration, that have “terrorized communities in Washington state and across the country,” according to the senators.
ICE and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers and representatives have been filmed in public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings, making agency affiliation and personal identity difficult to determine.
Members of the public have questioned whether they are dealing with legitimate law enforcement representatives during public operations due to the lack of visible badges, names, or agency insignia.
“Under the Trump administration, Americans have watched in horror as people have been abducted by unidentified masked agents and driven away in unmarked vans—these are scenes that shock the conscience and should never happen in America,” said Senator Murray. “I’ve heard from immigrant communities and people across Washington state about the pervasive sense of fear and alarm created when masked agents descend on a community without any visible identification, and residents have no way of knowing whether they are interacting with legitimate law enforcement. Anyone being detained by law enforcement in America deserves to know who is detaining them and why. The VISIBLE Act would simply require immigration enforcement officers to display their badge number and agency, and ensure that masked agents aren’t whisking people off the streets. This is a commonsense step that is badly needed as the Trump administration does everything it can to stoke fear and terror in immigrant communities and make everyone feel less safe.”“This bill is an important step toward keeping immigration enforcement officers and all the people in America safe. Masked, plainclothes officers create an unreasonable risk of escalating violence and unnerve everyone who sees them,” said Scott Shuchart, Former ICE and DHS (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Official. “As much as the cop in blues is a staple of American life, the masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American. Based on my experience in government, the VISIBLE Act makes good sense and would be straightforward for DHS officials to implement.”
Under the VISIBLE Act, immigration enforcement officers would be required to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials, and either display their name or badge number unobscured by tactical gear or clothing.
It would band non-medical face coverings, like masks or balaclavas, with the exception of environmental hazards or covert operations.
The VISIBLE Act would also require DHS to come up with disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The full bill text his here.
“As ICE engages in unprecedented numbers of immigration raids across the country, reportedly in response to arbitrary quotas set by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, it is crucial that ICE personnel not engage in conduct that is all but guaranteed to sow chaos and confusion and put law enforcement officers in danger,” the senators wrote. “Storming courthouses, grabbing students off the street, raiding places of work, and sweeping through restaurants at prime dining hours are in and of themselves tactics clearly designed to engender fear and sow chaos in the population. Doing so in plainclothes, with no identification of their name or agency, while wearing a mask designed to obscure the agent’s face, represents a clear attempt to compound that fear and chaos—and to avoid accountability for agents’ actions.The consequences of allowing unfettered plainclothes enforcement actions are clear. Not only does it frighten people and lead to increased chaos, but it also allows criminals to take advantage of this environment of uncertainty,” the Members continued.
The group of senators has asked that the Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons to respond to the following questions by July 21, 2025:
What are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies with regards to wearing masks while on duty?What are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies with regards to wearing uniforms or other identifiable markers while on duty?
Read the letter To Acting Director Lyons here.
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