Hirono, Colleagues Unveil New Bill to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 10 colleagues in introducing new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities throughout Hawaii and across the country.

“Dangerous individuals are increasingly impersonating federal immigration officials, and yet masked immigration agents continue to grab people off the streets with no visible identification,” said Senator Hirono. “This legislation is a necessary response to these dangerous, draconian tactics. By bringing much-needed transparency and accountability to immigration enforcement activities, this bill will help protect immigrant communities and all Americans.”

Under the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.

This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.

Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:

• Requires immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations, and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;

• Prohibits non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and

• Requires DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.

In addition to Senators Hirono, Padilla, and Booker, the VISIBLE Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The VISIBLE Act  is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

Introduction of the VISIBLE Act coincides with a letter Senator Hirono signed onto, led by Senator Padilla, to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons. The letter criticizes ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities — including raids on courthouses and restaurants — and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.

In addition to Senators Hirono and Padilla, the letter was also signed by Senators Blumenthal, Booker, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Murray, Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Schiff, Smith, Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Welch, and Wyden.

The full text of the letter is available here.

Senator Hirono is a leading champion in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform and continues to advocate on behalf of immigrant communities in Hawaii and across the country. Earlier this month, Senator Hirono led her colleagues in sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemning the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) aggressive immigration enforcement actions in Hawaii. In June, Senator Hirono joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and the rest of the Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. In June, Senator Hirono also joined her colleagues in urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, following a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that limited a nationwide injunction to Texas.

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