New state law goes into effect January 1, State Senator Arreguín says ICE should comply now

State Senator Jesse Arreguín issued an email to constituents on Monday, November 10, confirming that the FBI issued a warning that criminals are posing as agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and urging actual ICE agents to clearly identify themselves.

Senator Arreguín, who represents District 7 (including Alameda), reaffirmed the critical importance of the “No Secret Police Act” (SB 627) and pointed to the crimes committed by ICE impersonators as an indication that ICE should immediately begin compliance with SB 627.

“This alert from the FBI is a loud and unmistakable signal that our work is not just timely, it’s critical for public safety,”  Arreguín stated. “When armed operatives walk into our communities obscuring their face, and without a badge or a name, the public’s trust is broken and the risk to everyone increases. That risk is significantly heightened when there are known impersonators exploiting ICE’s propensity to withhold their identity. Public safety demands that ICE immediately comply with SB 627 rather than wait until next year.”

Arreguín’s email stated that the FBI bulletin noted that masked criminals masquerading as ICE agents have carried out robberies, kidnappings, and assaults. A Newsweek report noted that sexual assaults also were on the list of crimes committed by ICE impersonators.

“SB 627 is precisely the kind of legislation that addresses this moment—requiring transparency, accountability and identifiable law-enforcement personnel,” Arreguín stated. “The fact that the FBI is effectively telling ICE to identify themselves proves that we can no longer postpone this reform.”

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