Attorney General Ellison urges Congress to pass law to prohibit ICE masking

July 16, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, Attorney General Ellison joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in sending a letter to members of Congress, urging them to pass legislation generally prohibiting federal immigration agents from wearing masks to conceal their identity and requiring them to show their identification and agency-identifying insignia.

In the letter, the coalition expressed concern over escalating incidents involving masked Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers dressed in plainclothes and driving unmarked vehicles detaining individuals on streets, at homes, workplaces, and courthouses. The coalition criticizes ICE’s opaque conduct as a stark departure from the transparency and accountability long practiced by traditional law enforcement agencies. These tactics, the letter states, pose significant safety risks and instill fear rather than foster public safety

The letter follows an essay Attorney General Ellison published on his Substack account entitled “When the Law Won’t Show Its Face,” in which he argues that federal immigration enforcement officers masking their faces poses a danger to both the general public and law enforcement officers. In the essay, Attorney General Ellison calls on Minnesotans and all Americans to support a newly introduced bill in Congress, the No Secret Police Act (H.R. 4176), to ban the practice in all but limited circumstances.

“Imagine you're walking down the street,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Suddenly, you see armed and masked men pull up in an unmarked van, grab someone off the sidewalk, and attempt to force that person into their vehicle. You have seconds to decide whether you’re witnessing a kidnapping or masked immigration agents detaining someone. It can be impossible to tell the difference when federal immigration agents can conceal their identities, and that is dangerous. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation banning federal immigration from concealing their identities and requiring agents to wear agency-identifying insignia. This improves safety for all of us, including members of law enforcement, and it helps ensure those who enforce the law are still held accountable under the law.”

Without clear identification, the attorneys general warn that individuals may not recognize the agents as federal officers, which may prompt bystander intervention, tie up local law enforcement resources, or even escalate dangerous situations. The letter also raises the concern that this lack of identification has enabled individuals to impersonate ICE agents to exploit or harm members of the community.

While the coalition acknowledges that limited protective measures may be appropriate for federal agents in certain situations, they warn that widespread, unchecked use of masks and plainclothes enforcement undermines democratic principles, erodes public trust, and invites civil rights abuses. The coalition urges Congress to pass legislation to ensure that federal immigration agents operate under clear guidelines that promote transparency and accountability.

In sending this letter, Attorney General Ellison is joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.