Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and cosponsored by 14 other Democratic senators would require law enforcement officers conducting immigration enforcement activities to display identification during public-facing operations.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the legislation, the Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025, would enhance safety, transparency and accountability. If passed, the law would require DHS personnel, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other deputized local law enforcement officers and agents to display clearly legible identification like an agency name or initials as well as their name and badge number, and that the identification be plainly visible and unobscured by gear.
“Clear identification is a basic but essential safeguard that ensures accountability, strengthens public confidence, and protects the safety of both officers and members of the public,” Peters said. “This legislation ensures federal officers display visible identification to support professional, safe, and transparent operations.”
Without identification, Peters said, the public cannot reliably confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate public safety officers. The senator cited incidents where criminals have impersonated officers and killed, assaulted or kidnapped individuals. Clear identification would thwart any safety and operational risks for the public and for law enforcement officers, he said.
Peters has previously questioned U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi about rumors federal law enforcement officers are conducting operations without visible identification. Such actions could lead to confusion and escalate tensions during enforcement actions, endangering both the officers and the public, he said.