Yesterday, US Senators Alex Padilla and Cory Booker introduced a new bill in the Senate that would require ICE agents to be identifiable while in the field. If passed, the bill would bring ICE in alignment with legal identification requirements for law enforcement officers.
The same day senators introduced the bill, masked ICE agents in San Francisco physically grappled with members of the community outside of a downtown courthouse.
ICE says its agents have to cover their faces to prevent doxxing and harassment. In a statement to KALW, ICE spokesperson Emily Covington said the agency has seen a recent rise in assaults on its officers.
But critics say that the practice is unnecessarily intimidating, and lets agents skirt accountability. In a press release, Padilla said that the aim of the bill is to restore transparency and prevent ICE impersonators.
