John,
Unmask ICE: Demand transparency and accountability now!
No U.S. government law enforcement agency should conduct arrests in secret -- least of all Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), one of the most powerful and controversial arms of the federal government. Yet across the country, ICE agents have been concealing their identities while detaining immigrants: wearing masks, refusing to identify themselves, and ignoring the constitutional requirements of due process.
Congress must act -- not just to rein in ICE’s power, but to ensure that no United States agency can detain, deport, or surveil people while hiding behind masks and anonymity. Fortunately, three bills have been introduced that would take a first, critical step:
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The VISIBLE Act, introduced by Sen. Alex Padilla, would prohibit ICE agents from concealing their identities during enforcement actions.
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The No Masks for ICE Act, introduced by Rep. Nydia Velázquez, would ban ICE officers from wearing face coverings that obscure their identities while on duty.
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The No Secret Police Act, introduced by Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, would close loopholes that allow federal agencies to evade public scrutiny and accountability.
This policy is not just wrong -- it’s dangerous. Law enforcement in a democracy must be accountable to the public it serves. ICE’s use of anonymous uniforms and face coverings mirrors the tactics of secret police in authoritarian regimes, not the practices of a free society.
Send a direct message to demand your members of Congress pass these three bills immediately to unmask ICE and protect our civil rights.
These secretive and unresponsive tactics erode public trust, break off civic engagement, and invite police brutality -- especially in vulnerable immigrant communities.
Even more alarming, Congress has now expanded ICE’s budget dramatically under Trump’s just-passed omnibus budget bill, funneling billions of taxpayer dollars into an agency already operating with little transparency or oversight. Without immediate action, this funding surge will only increase the rate of unchecked abuses behind a veil of secrecy.
Together, these bills affirm a basic democratic principle: that those who wield government power must do so openly, with transparency and respect for civil rights. This is not a partisan issue -- it’s about protecting the rule of law, constitutional accountability, and public trust.
Tell your members of Congress: Unmask ICE. Pass these three bills now.
Thank you for your vigilance and your efforts to prevent our nation from being dominated by the unrestrained actions of a secret police.
-DFA AF Team
