119-hr4652

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4652 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4652

 To enhance penalties for the unauthorized use and sale of Immigration 
 and Customs Enforcement apparel and insignia, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 23, 2025

 Mr. Espaillat (for himself and Mr. Correa) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To enhance penalties for the unauthorized use and sale of Immigration 
 and Customs Enforcement apparel and insignia, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Fraudulent ICE 
Impersonation Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Unauthorized individuals have impersonated U.S. 
 Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    (ICE) officers, causing 
 fear and distrust in communities.

    (2) The unauthorized use of ICE insignia and apparel poses 
 a significant risk to public safety, undermines trust in law 
 enforcement, and facilitates fraudulent activities.

    (3) Strengthening penalties and restricting the sale of 
 ICE-branded apparel and insignia is necessary to protect 
 communities from fraud and abuse.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNAUTHORIZED USE OF ICE APPAREL AND INSIGNIA.

    (a) Unlawful Impersonation of an ICE Officer.--

    (1) In general.--It shall be unlawful for any individual 
 who is not an officer or employee of the Department of Homeland 
 Security, acting within the scope of their official duties, to 
 wear, display, or possess apparel, badges, insignia, or other 
 items bearing the words ``ICE'' or ``Immigration and Customs 
 Enforcement'' in a manner that could reasonably be interpreted 
 as an attempt to impersonate a Federal law enforcement officer.

    (2) Penalty.--Any person who violates this subsection shall 
 be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not 
 more than 7 years, or both.

    (b) Prohibition on Sale of ICE Apparel and Insignia.--

    (1) In general.--It shall be unlawful for any individual or 
 entity to manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or distribute any 
 apparel, badge, or insignia bearing the official marks, logos, 
 or designations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
 without express authorization from the Department of Homeland 
 Security.

    (2) Civil penalty.--Any person or entity who violates this 
 subsection shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than 
 $100,000 per violation.

SEC. 4. SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE.

    (a) Seizure and Forfeiture.--Any unauthorized ICE apparel or 
insignia manufactured, sold, distributed, or possessed in violation of 
this Act shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture in accordance with 
chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code.

    (b) Sentencing Enhancement.--The United States Sentencing 
Commission shall take such actions as may be necessary to provide that 
impersonation of an immigration official shall result in an enhancement 
of any term of imprisonment of no less than 6 months.

SEC. 5. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND REPORTING MECHANISM.

    (a) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a public 
awareness campaign to inform communities about the dangers of 
individuals impersonating ICE officers and provide resources for 
reporting such activities.

    (b) The Secretary shall also establish a national reporting 
mechanism, including a dedicated hotline and online portal, to 
facilitate the reporting of individuals impersonating ICE officers.
            (c) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act 
and every 180 days thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on the impersonation of immigration 
officials and the underlying factors that should be considered for any 
potential solution to the issue, and submit thereon a report to 
Congress.

SEC. 6. RULEMAKING.

 The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue regulations 
necessary to carry out this Act not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment.

SEC. 7. DEFINITION.

 In this Act--

    (1) the term ``ICE'' means U.S. Immigration and Customs 
 Enforcement; and

    (2) the term ``official'' means--
        (A) a public official, as such term is defined in 
 

section 201

    (a)

    (1) of title 18, United States Code; and
        (B) a person who has been selected to be a public 
 official, as such term is defined in 

section 201

    (a)

    (2) of title 18, United States Code.
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