Velázquez Introduces Bill to Prohibit ICE Agents from Concealing Identity During Enforcement

WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the No Masks for ICE Act to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing facial coverings during enforcement actions and requiring them to wear clothing displaying their name and affiliation with ICE.

The bill comes in response to increasing reports of masked federal agents conducting immigration raids in neighborhoods, workplaces, and sensitive locations like schools and courthouses. Advocates say mirror the tactics of secret police and undermine public trust.

"When ICE agents hide their faces and badges, it spreads fear and removes any accountability. It makes it harder to report abuse, harder to hold agents responsible, and more likely that arrests spiral into chaos," said Velázquez. "That's not how law enforcement should operate in a democracy. The No Masks for ICE Act is about bringing basic transparency and accountability to immigration enforcement."

The No Masks for ICE Act would bolster Department of Homeland Security rules by:

• Prohibiting ICE agents from wearing facial coverings during enforcement actions, except in cases where masks are needed for health or safety;
• Requiring agents to wear clothing that shows their name and ICE affiliation during arrests.

"Masked raids are terrifying and make it impossible to hold agents accountable," Velázquez added. "It's also dangerous. We've seen cases where people thought they were witnessing a kidnapping, not an immigration arrest. That kind of confusion puts everyone at risk."

Since Trump returned to office, ICE has arrested more than 100,000 immigrants, asylum seekers, and undocumented people often through aggressive raids in neighborhoods, courthouses, schools, and worksites. Often these arrests are carried out by agents in plain clothes and facial coverings.

Read a full copy of the bill here.

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