Blumenthal & Colleagues Announce New Bill Requiring ICE Agents to Display Clear Identification & Stop Hiding Behind Masks & Plainclothes

[Hartford, CT] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in introducing 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 in Connecticut and across the country.

Under the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.

This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. 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.

“Like other law enforcement agencies, ICE agents should have standards for identifying themselves when they are performing apprehensions and arrests. Wearing masks and non-identifiable plain clothes fosters fear and deters accountability — as well as raises danger to the agents if they are mistaken for criminals threatening harm. The VISIBLE Act requires standards common to federal and state law enforcement in Connecticut and around the country,” said Blumenthal.

“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.”

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 also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The bill is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel.

Full text of the bill is available here and a one-pager is available here.

Blumenthal also joined 13 other Democratic senators in a letter sent to Todd Lyons, Acting Director of ICE, criticizing ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities—including raids on courthouses and restaurants—and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.

“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 senators continued. The senators also asked Acting Director Lyons to respond to the following questions by Monday, July 21st: 

1. What are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies with regards to wearing masks while on duty?
2. What are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies with regards to wearing uniforms or other identifiable markers while on duty?

The letter was led by Murray and Padilla and also signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Full text of the letter is available here.

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