119-hr4667

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4667 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4667

To amend 

section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require 
all immigration enforcement officers to display visible identification 
 during public-facing immigration enforcement actions and to promote 
 transparency and accountability.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 23, 2025

Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas (for himself, Ms. Chu, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, 
 and Ms. Escobar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
 the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
 Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
 within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend 

section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require 
all immigration enforcement officers to display visible identification 
 during public-facing immigration enforcement actions and to promote 
 transparency and accountability.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Visible Identification Standards for 
Immigration-Based Law Enforcement Act of 2025'' or the ``VISIBLE Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds that--

    (1) transparency and accountability in public immigration 
 enforcement are essential to maintaining public trust and 
 upholding constitutional governance; and

    (2) immigration enforcement officers should be visibly 
 identifiable during any civil immigration enforcement activity 
 at which members of the public may be directly engaged or 
 present, including actions involving civil and criminal 
 authority, unless the activity is truly covert and not 
 observable by the public.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR VISIBLE IDENTIFICATION DURING IMMIGRATION 
 ENFORCEMENT.

 

Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1357) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (i) (1) In this subsection:
 ``
        (A) The term `covered immigration officer' means any 
 individual who is--
 ``
            (i) authorized to perform immigration enforcement 
 functions; and
 ``
            (ii) 
            (I) an officer or employee of U.S. Customs 
 and Border Protection;
 ``
            (II) an officer or employee of U.S. Immigration 
 and Customs Enforcement; or
 ``
            (III) an individual authorized, deputized, or 
 designated under Federal law, regulation, or agreement 
 to perform immigration enforcement functions, including 
 pursuant to 

section 287

    (g) or any other delegation or 
 agreement with the Department of Homeland Security.
 ``
        (B) The term `public immigration enforcement function'--
 ``
            (i) means any activity that involves the direct 
 exercise of Federal immigration authority through 
 public-facing actions, including a patrol, a stop, an 
 arrest, a search, an interview to determine immigration 
 status, a raid, a checkpoint inspection, or the service 
 of a judicial or administrative warrant; and
 ``
            (ii) does not include covert, non-public 
 operations or non-enforcement activities.
 ``
            (C) The term `visible identification' means a display of 
 an immigration officer's agency and name or badge number in a 
 size and format that complies with the requirements under 
 paragraph

    (3) .
 ``

    (2) Each covered immigration officer who directly engages in a 
public immigration enforcement function within the United States shall, 
at all times during such engagement, wear visible identification, which 
shall include--
 ``
        (A) the full name or widely recognized initials of the 
 officer's employing agency; and
 ``
        (B)
            (i) the officer's last name; or
 ``
            (ii) the officer's unique badge or identification number.
 ``

    (3) The identifying information described in this paragraph shall 
be--
 ``
        (A) for the immigration officer's agency, displayed in a 
 size and format that is clearly legible from a distance of not 
 less than 25 feet, using materials or markings suitable for 
 visibility in both daylight and low-light conditions, under 
 normal operation conditions;
 ``
        (B) for the officer's name or badge number, displayed in 
 a manner that is clearly visible and readable during direct 
 engagement with the public; and
 ``
            (C) displayed on the outermost garment or gear and not 
 obscured by tactical equipment, body armor, or accessories.
 ``

    (4) Covered immigration officers may not wear non-medical face 
coverings, including masks or balaclavas, that impair the visibility of 
the identifying information required under this subsection or obscure 
the officer's face unless such face coverings are operationally 
necessary--
 ``
        (A) to protect the integrity of a covert, non-public 
 operation; or
 ``
        (B) to guard against hazardous environmental 
 conditions.''.

SEC. 4. COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING.

    (a) Internal Accountability.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall ensure that any covered immigration officer who fails to comply 
with the requirements under 

section 287
            (i) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act, as added by 

section 3, receive appropriate 
administrative discipline, including written reprimand, suspension, or 
other personnel actions, consistent with agency policy and any 
applicable collective bargaining agreement.

    (b) Annual Report to Congress.--Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the Office for 
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department of Homeland 
Security, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that 
includes--

    (1) the total number of public immigration enforcement 
 functions conducted during the reporting period;

    (2) the number of documented instances of noncompliance 
 with 

section 287
            (i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as 
 added by 

section 3; and

    (3) a summary of disciplinary or remedial actions taken 
 against those responsible for such instances of noncompliance.

SEC. 5. ROLE OF THE OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES.

 The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department 
of Homeland Security shall--

    (1) receive and investigate complaints from the public 
 concerning violations of 

section 287
            (i) of the Immigration and 
 Nationality Act, as added by 

section 3;

    (2) issue recommendations to relevant Department of 
 Homeland Security components concerning compliance and 
 corrective actions that should be taken;

    (3) include findings and actions taken pursuant to this 
 Act, including information contained in the report received 
 pursuant to 

section 4

    (b) , in its annual public report submitted 
 pursuant to 

section 705

    (b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
 (6 U.S.C. 345

    (b) ); and

    (4) carry out the responsibilities under this section in 
 accordance with its statutory authorities, which may include 
 coordination with the Office of Inspector General of the 
 Department, as appropriate.
 <all>