JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Florida lawmakers filed new legislation on Thursday that would require law enforcement and immigration officers to display visible identification and prohibit the use of face coverings during public enforcement actions.
State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) and Representative AngieNixon (D-Jacksonville) filed what they called “The VISIBLE Act,” which they said aims to “reduce tension with law enforcement in Florida communities by removing masks used to shield law enforcement and immigration officers from identification and accountability.”
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“Safer communities are stronger communities. Allowing law enforcement and immigration officers to mask their identities erases transparency, exacerbates already difficult and dangerous situations, and does nothing to keep our communities safe,” said Nixon. “I’m fighting for transparency and accountability with our law enforcement by ensuring proper identification of our officers. This common-sense measure protects officers doing their jobs and ensures that the general public is not tricked by bad actors wishing to inflict harm on people by abusing the systems meant to keep us all safe.”
READ | Click here to read the proposed legislation
The proposed legislation would require officers to display visible identification, including agency name and badge number, during public immigration enforcement actions. It also prohibits the use of face coverings that hide officers’ identities, except in specific cases involving undercover operations or hazardous environmental conditions.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has expressed her support for face coverings, saying in part that officers have to wear them sometimes to protect their identities from “dangerous situations.”
“With a rise in violence that we continue to see against these officers, with that 1,000% increase, it’s making sure that they are safe while they do this job, and that they get home to their families,” Noem said during a news conference in August.
But lawmakers said the “The VISIBLE Act” is all about transparency.
“While Florida remains the front lines of Trump’s extreme deportation agenda, the public deserves transparency from those conducting immigration-enforcement activities in our communities. Officers should not be able to grab people off the street while hiding behind a mask. The use of this draconian tactic has led to several incidents of criminals posing as ICE officers committing robberies, kidnapping, and sexual assault. SB 316 is a simple, commonsense step to protect civil liberties, strengthen public trust in law enforcement, and ensure accountability in immigration enforcement,” said Smith.
In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a similar law that bans ICE agents and most law enforcement from wearing masks to hide their identities.