A group of House Democrats on Thursday unveiled legislation aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in federal immigration enforcement. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025, introduced by Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-38), Judy Chu (CA-28), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), and Veronica Escobar (TX-16), would require immigration officers to display visible identification during public enforcement actions.
The bill comes amid an escalation of immigration raids under the Trump administration, with growing reports of officers in unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure agency affiliation and personal identity. Advocates say the practice creates confusion, erodes public trust, and opens the door for criminals to impersonate law enforcement.
Kamlager-Dove characterized the current practices as “an authoritarian tactic meant to sow fear and distrust,” while Escobar warned that the absence of visible credentials has already inspired criminals to impersonate immigration agents. Gonzalez called the measure “a common sense fix” to ensure the public can verify that armed individuals are legitimate officers.
The legislation would apply to DHS personnel, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as federal agents detailed to immigration operations and deputized state or local officers. It would require legible identification to remain visible and unobscured by gear or clothing, ban identity-obscuring masks except for environmental hazards or covert operations, and direct DHS to investigate complaints and report compliance annually to Congress.
The requirements would not apply to covert or non-public operations, nor to actions conducted solely under criminal authority.
In the Senate, companion legislation has been introduced by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
“The VISIBLE Act is common-sense legislation to help ensure both officer and public safety,” Escobar said. “Transparency builds trust — and right now, that trust is in crisis.”
