Senate Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday that aims to limit the ability of federal immigration agents to conceal their identities during enforcement operations.
The bill, unveiled by Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sen. Alex Padilla of California, would require ICE and CBP officers to display visible identification, Axios reported.
The legislation would also prohibit face coverings by agents during public enforcement actions at a time when many of them are facing threats.
Democrats also want to force immigration agents to wear names and badge numbers on uniforms that clearly state the agency they are employed by.
According to the outlet, the lawmakers claimed the bill is aimed at increasing accountability and transparency.
Padilla said, “When federal immigration agents show up and pull someone off the street in plainclothes with their face obscured and no visible identification, it only escalates tensions and spreads fear while shielding federal agents from basic accountability.”
Padilla lashed out at federal immigration officers Monday in a post on his X page.
Armored vehicles. Tactical gear. Military-grade weapons.
All for the show.
This isn’t security—it’s intimidation. And it has no place in our communities.https://t.co/YLsJNmtqOv pic.twitter.com/CxQ05zW4iu
— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) July 7, 2025
“Armored vehicles. Tactical gear. Military-grade weapons. All for the show,” the Democrat said.
Padilla added, “This isn’t security — it’s intimidation. And it has no place in our communities.”
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Scott Shuchart, a former ICE official who has donated to Democrats in the last five election cycles, criticized his former agency and threw his support behind the bill in comments to Axios.
“The masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American,” Shuchart said.
The bill is unlikely to pass the Republican-led House, but it underscores Democrats’ continued focus on restricting immigration enforcement.
The introduction of the bill comes at a time when agents tasked with enforcing the country’s immigration laws have been faced with calls for violence, and some of them have had their personal information leaked online.
As the Department of Homeland Security announced in June, 2025 has seen a 500 percent increase in assaults on ICE agents, who are facing threats online.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said of the matter, “This violence against ICE must end.”
The proposal from Senate Democrats also comes just one day after a violent ambush on a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas.
A 27-year-old man opened fire at the facility Monday, wounding two law enforcement officers and one Border Patrol employee.
Federal agents returned fire and fatally shot the suspect on the scene.
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