Democrats Propose Nationwide Ban on Masked ICE Agents

A growing coalition of Democratic lawmakers across New York and California is pushing legislation aimed at banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers from wearing masks or concealing their identities during arrests. The 'No Secret Police Act' and similar bills like New York's 'No Masks For ICE' Act and California's 'No Vigilantes Act' would require federal agents to clearly display official identification, badges, and insignia to increase transparency and accountability amid widespread concerns about secretive, masked federal agents conducting arrests in immigrant communities. Lawmakers argue that these agents' tactics—often involving plain clothes and homemade face coverings—create fear, confusion, and a lack of accountability, contrasting sharply with local police practices and evoking comparisons to authoritarian regimes. The bills also call for the Department of Homeland Security to research ways to improve the visibility of law enforcement identification under various conditions. The legislative efforts follow high-profile incidents, including the rough detention of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander by masked agents, which has intensified calls for reform. Advocates emphasize that these measures are necessary to protect immigrant communities and uphold democratic norms amid an increase in aggressive immigration enforcement under President Trump’s administration.