Overview
- The VISIBLE Act mandates that during public civil-immigration operations officers must display visible identification showing their agency and badge number, and bans non-medical face coverings.
- It applies to Department of Homeland Security personnel as well as federal, state or local officers detailed to assist with mass deportation efforts.
- The measure carves out exceptions for officers masking for safety from environmental hazards or conducting covert non-public operations, and applies only to civil, not criminal, immigration actions.
- Under the bill, DHS would establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress, and route complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
- Backed largely by Democrats with limited Republican support, the VISIBLE Act has been formally introduced in the Senate and now awaits committee review while parallel House and state proposals advance.