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Rep. Watson Coleman, Beyer Introduce Legislation to Increase Safety of Interactions Between ICE Officers and the Public

The ICE Visibility Act would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers to be clearly identifiable in most interactions with the public

Washington, May 1, 2025

Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08) announced the introduction of the ICE Visibility Act of 2025 would amend section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and all other Immigration officers, including those deputized, to wear visible and distinct uniforms at all times of action.

In recent months, the American people have seen several recordings and reports of masked and plainclothes ICE officers and others impersonating federal law enforcement, approaching, threatening, and in some cases abducting people who are simply going about their business.  The regular use of plainclothes officers during these actions often creates a significant risk to the officers, who cannot be identified by a fearful public. In addition, the knowledge that some officers are routinely in plainclothes when on duty creates an opportunity for impersonators to harass law-abiding residents. 

“During the first 100 days of the second Trump Administration, the President has used Immigration and Customs Enforcement to establish an atmosphere of hostility and fear while obliterating due process rights for lawful residents of the United States,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “ICE’s tactic of wearing normal street clothes to misrepresent themselves to the public while executing raids, patrolling, detaining, and arresting individuals is dangerous and should be ended for everyone’s safety”

"Like many Americans, I have been dismayed by the recent cases where unidentified, and often masked, ICE Agents have been documented picking people up off the street or from their homes,” said Rep. Beyer. “The lack of identification can create dangerous situations and contribute to a climate of fear. It undermines the public's trust in law enforcement and is reminiscent of police states. It should not be allowed."   

The ICE Visibility Act is cosponsored by Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), James McGovern (MA–02), and Cleo Fields (LA-06). 

The ICE Visibility Act can be read here.