Masked immigration agents are grabbing people off the streets — and lawmakers say it’s time to stop it.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, federal immigration raids have ramped up, and the tactics have changed. Agents, often in plain clothes and with their faces covered, are arresting immigrants — and sometimes even U.S. citizens — without clearly identifying themselves.
Two New York Democrats in the House of Representatives, Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, are sounding the alarm. On Thursday, they introduced the No Secret Police Act of 2025, a bill that would ban ICE and DHS officers from covering their faces or hiding their identities during arrests. The bill would also require agents to display badges, agency insignia, and provide identification when detaining someone.
“Across the country, plain-clothed federal agents in homemade face coverings are lying in wait outside immigration courts to snatch law-abiding, non-violent immigrants going through our legal system the right way,” said Rep. Goldman. “This isn’t about protecting law enforcement, it’s about terrorizing immigrant communities.”
Goldman continued: “The United States is not a dictatorship, and I’m proud to introduce this commonsense legislation ensuring that our federal government’s laws are enforced by identifiable human beings, not anonymous, secret agents of the state.”
The issue turned national after New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested last week by masked agents inside a Manhattan immigration court. Lander said he was there to observe proceedings and make sure people weren’t detained without warrants — something he’s done many times before. This time, he was tackled and held for hours. One man wore a vest suggesting he was with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. No charges were filed.
In response to the arrest and growing public concern, 37 House Democrats have signed onto Goldman and Espaillat’s bill.
California lawmakers are also taking action. State Sen. Sasha Renee Perez introduced the No Vigilantes Act after masked agents were caught on video detaining people in public spaces and neighborhoods.
“The truth is unless these individuals provide proper identification, we don’t know,” Perez said during a press conference.
But Republicans are defending the agents. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dismissed the bill on Fox News, saying: “From the people who mandated mask-wearing for years in America, it’s absurd. They need to back off of ICE and respect our agents and stop protesting against them.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaking during a Senate budget hearing, said she wasn’t aware this was happening — but then added that agents were being “doxxed and threatened.”
The mask-wearing started to surge in March, especially during crackdowns on student protests over U.S. support for Israel. That’s when people began reporting that federal agents were arresting protesters while wearing plain clothes and no visible ID.
“These agents are terrorizing immigrant communities,” said Natalia Aristizabal, deputy director of Make the Road New York. “They blatantly disregard people’s rights and take people from their jobs, homes and streets, all while masked and unidentified. This must stop.”
The White House has responded with finger-pointing. A spokesperson claimed, without offering any data, that there has been a “500% increase” in assaults on ICE agents — blaming “unhinged, dangerous rhetoric from Democrats.” The only proof provided was a link to a social media post by a transgender individual allegedly talking about violence against ICE.
“Instead of spending their time further demonizing heroic ICE officers, Democrat politicians should dial back the rhetoric and tell their supporters to stop attacking law enforcement,” the spokesperson said.
Legal experts say this goes beyond politics — it’s a threat to public safety. The New York City Bar Association released a statement saying federal code already requires agents to identify themselves during arrests “as soon as it is practical and safe to do so.” The group warned that the lack of identification can lead to impersonation and abuse.
That’s not just a theory. Just last week, two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses were shot at their homes by a man pretending to be a police officer.
Since 2020, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has warned that police wearing masks makes people more fearful, more defensive, and increases risks for both officers and the public.
Rep. Espaillat summed it up clearly: “If you are upholding the law, you should not be anonymous, and our bill aims to safeguard from tyranny while upholding the values of our nation.”
