Horrified? How can we not be? The immigration raids nationwide and killing of peaceful protestors in Minnesota shock and disgust us. Given the current trajectory of ICE’s targeting of law abiding residents, children, and citizens, increased funding for immigration detention and enforcement will worsen our national crisis. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed last year allots $45 billion to detention and deportation. More funding will produce more raids. Masked, armed ICE agents are a formula for unprecedented terror and violation of civil rights. Thus the VISIBLE Act is needed.

The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act (S. 2212) was introduced into the U.S. Senate in July 2025 and was led by Senators Alex Padilla and Cory Booker. There are now over 22 cosponsors, all Democrats. The VISIBLE Act would require federal agents to wear a visible ID stating the agency that employs them and include their name or badge number. Ski masks and other non-medical face coverings would be banned. These representatives, along with others in law enforcement, rightly see the masks as interfering with accountability and stimulating terror among the populace.

California state Sen. Scott Wiener introduced the No Secret Police bill (SB 627) to prohibit local and federal law enforcement from concealing their faces in California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in September 2025. In July 2025, Massachusetts state Rep. James Hawkins of Attleboro introduced a bill, H.4684, that would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing masks or disguises when interacting with the public. Violation of this law would be punished as a misdemeanor. Several states have introduced legislation to limit law enforcement from wearing masks to hide their identity. A national law is needed to protect civil liberties, uphold the rule of law, and re-establish public trust.

Contact your representatives and urge them to pass the VISIBLE ACT. Our tax dollars should not fund anonymous kidnappings and killings of our nation’s residents and citizens.

Lillian Cartwright

Easthampton