House Bill Would Bar ICE From Wearing ‘Police’ Uniforms Amid Rising Tensions
Lawmakers say banning ICE from using 'police' labels could help rebuild trust and prevent dangerous impersonations.
WASHINGTON — A new bill introduced in Congress seeks to prohibit immigration officers from wearing uniforms labeled “police,” a move lawmakers say is aimed at restoring trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
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The legislation, co-authored by Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., would ban officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Protection from donning clothing that includes the word “police.”
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“When immigrant communities see ‘police’ on an ICE individual’s uniform … it creates problems. It puts people at risk,” Thompson told KQED. “If there’s an immigrant who is a victim of a crime, they’re reluctant to report it. If the police are trying to question an immigrant that’s a witness to a crime, they’re reluctant to get involved.”
The proposal comes as tensions escalate between federal immigration authorities and communities in states like California, where President Donald Trump has intensified deportation efforts. Following mass protests against immigration raids last week, Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles, prompting fear and legal backlash from state officials.
“Immigrant communities live in fear of one day being deported and never seeing their family members again,” Velázquez said in a statement.
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The National Immigrant Justice Center has noted that federal immigration agents often introduce themselves as police officers, despite not being legally recognized as such. Thompson argued the confusion has a chilling effect on public safety and damages the credibility of local police departments.
“When people are unsure of whether a police officer is actually an immigration official, it sours the relationship between local law enforcement and the communities they’re supposed to serve,” he said.
“While we resist the threat of raids and mass deportations, it’s equally important to curb actions that fuel distrust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, like ICE agents posing as local police officers,” Velázquez added.
This is not the first time such legislation has been proposed. In 2022, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), collaborated with Velázquez on a similar bill. The latest version was introduced in the House on June 6.
The Trump “administration has squarely taken aim at immigrant communities,” Thompson said. “We need to build an interest in passing something like this, and we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to do that.”
The bill comes amid heightened concerns about impersonation, following a recent incident in Minnesota where a man posing as a police officer shot two state lawmakers.
A court battle over Trump’s recent deployment of the National Guard is ongoing. A federal judge initially ruled the president had overstepped his authority by mobilizing state troops without notifying Gov. Gavin Newsom, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision and scheduled a follow-up hearing for next week.
Read KQED’s report here.
