VISIBLE Act

Increased Transparency and Accountability: The bill states that transparency and accountability in public immigration enforcement are essential to maintaining public trust and upholding constitutional governance (Section 2).

Clear Identification during Public Encounters: Covered immigration officers performing public-facing actions, such as patrols, stops, arrests, searches, or interviews, must wear visible identification that includes their agency's name and their last name or badge number (Section 3).

Improved Visibility of Identification: The law requires agency information to be legible from at least 25 feet and suitable for both daylight and low-light conditions (Section 3).

Protection Against Obscured Identities: Identification must be displayed on the outermost garment and cannot be hidden by tactical equipment or body armor (Section 3).

Limitations on Face Coverings: Officers are prohibited from wearing non-medical face coverings, such as masks or balaclavas, that obscure their face or identification, unless it is necessary for a covert operation or hazardous environmental conditions (Section 3).

Mechanism for Addressing Violations: The Secretary of Homeland Security is required to ensure that officers who fail to comply with identification requirements receive administrative discipline, such as written reprimands or suspension (Section 4).

Public Oversight and Complaint Resolution: The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is tasked with receiving and investigating complaints from the public regarding identification violations (Section 5).

Exemptions for Covert Operations: The requirement for visible identification does not apply to covert, non-public operations (Section 3).

Exceptions for Environmental or Operational Needs: Officers may wear face coverings that obscure their identity if it is considered operationally necessary to protect a covert operation or to guard against hazardous environmental conditions (Section 3).