Sen.: “The consequences of allowing unfettered plainclothes enforcement actions are clear. Not only does it frighten people and lead to increased chaos, but it also allows criminals to take advantage of this environment of uncertainty.”
July 10, 2025 - This week, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and 12 Senate Democratic colleagues 
in demanding answers from Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducting arrests and raids while masked, in plainclothes, and without any identifying information indicating they are federal law enforcement officers.
Related: California U.S. Senator Alex Padilla Unveils New Bill to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification
The letter raises alarm over ICE operations where agents have reportedly apprehended individuals in public spaces—including restaurants and courthouses—without wearing uniforms, badges, or any visible indication of their federal authority.
“As ICE engages in unprecedented numbers of immigration raids across the country, reportedly in response to arbitrary quotas set by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, it is crucial that ICE personnel not engage in conduct that is all but guaranteed to sow chaos and confusion and put law enforcement officers in danger,” the senators wrote.
“Federal law expressly requires law enforcement personnel to wear identifying uniforms when addressing civil disturbances, in recognition of this clear fact: when federal agents are exercising government authority, including the power to arrest people, the public has the right to know for certain that those agents work for the government and which agency employs them,” the lawmakers continue.
The senators also warned of the real-world dangers of these practices: “The consequences of allowing unfettered plainclothes enforcement actions are clear. Not only does it frighten people and lead to increased chaos, but it also allows criminals to take advantage of this environment of uncertainty. For example, there have been several reports of armed criminals robbing individuals by posing as plainclothes ICE agents. In one instance in Greensboro, North Carolina, several people were injured when armed individuals, falsely identifying themselves as ICE agents, pushed their way inside a home and robbed the family inside.”
In addition to Kelly and Padilla, the letter was signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Full text of the letter is available here.
Source: Senator Mark Kelly
