Overview

• A coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general, joined by Colorado’s AG on July 23, sent Congress a letter calling for legislation to bar ICE agents from wearing masks and require visible identification during enforcement actions
• U.S. Rep. Grace Meng’s badge-display bill, introduced on July 9, would mandate ICE agents to visibly show their badge, badge number and law enforcement affiliation; Sen. Alex Padilla’s VISIBLE Act proposes similar requirements and awaits a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
• The New York Mandating End of Lawless Tactics (MELT) Act, sponsored by State Sen. Patricia Fahy and Assembly Member Tony Simone, aims to ban masks for all law enforcement in the state and enforce name and badge number display with narrow safety exceptions
• Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have defended optional mask use as a necessary safety measure to protect agents and their families from doxxing, gang retaliation and violent attacks
• Opponents, including Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, warn that masked enforcement erodes accountability, undermines community relations and enables dangerous impersonation, setting the stage for federal-state legal clashes over agency authority and anonymity rights