By Andrew Roth, Michigan Advance
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) would require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions.
The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement, or VISIBLE, Act of 2025 would apply to Department of Homeland Security personnel, including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as other federal agents detailed to immigration operations and deputized state or local officers.
The identification would be required to be clearly legible and include the agency name or initials and either the officer’s name or badge number.
Face coverings would also be prohibited, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations.
Slotkin’s office called the bill a “narrow, commonsense transparency measure to promote professionalism and public trust.”
“In recent months, we have seen police, wearing hoodies and masks, make arrests that look more like kidnappings in an authoritarian country,” Slotkin said. “With a growing number of reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers in recent months, this measure is more important than ever — not just for our national security but for the safety of border states like Michigan.”
A press release said visible identification “helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success.”
Slotkin partnered with U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, both also Democrats, on the legislation.
The bill is co-sponsored by 10 other Democratic senators, including Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.).
A fact sheet for the bill points to an “unprecedented escalation of militarized tactics” by the administration of President Donald Trump, including recent operations in California like in Pasadena where an agent reportedly exited an unmarked vehicle in the middle of the road and aimed his pistol at a group of pedestrians without identifying himself.
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