WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities across California and the nation.
“Law enforcement should be required to identify that they’re law enforcement while enforcing our immigration laws, said Slotkin. “In recent months, we have seen police, wearing hoodies and masks, make arrests that look more like kidnappings in an authoritarian country. With a growing number of reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers in recent months, this measure is more important than ever — not just for our national security but for the safety of border states like Michigan. These basics protect officers and the public, promote transparency, and build trust with law enforcement. The VISIBLE ACT is aimed directly at that goal, and I’m committed to working with my colleagues to get it across the finish line.”
Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.
The ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County by unidentified federal agents have stoked fear and uncertainty throughout the region amid President Trump’s unprecedented escalation of militarized tactics. Recently at Dodger Stadium, plainclothes immigration agents parked outside of the stadium lot without identifying themselves. In Bell, masked agents wearing fatigues detained at least three people at a car wash, and in Pasadena, an agent exited an unmarked vehicle in the middle of the road and aimed his pistol at a group of pedestrians without identifying himself. From June 6 to June 22, immigration enforcement agents — many lacking identifying information —arrested 1,618 immigrants for deportation in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.
Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:
- Requires immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations, and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;
- Prohibits non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and
- Requires DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.
The VISIBLE Act is cosponsored by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
Full text of the bill is available here.
###