By Police1 Staff
WASHINGTON — A bill introduced to the House Thursday would ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and officers from wearing clothing bearing the label “police.”
Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, the bill’s author, D-N.Y., told The Washington Post that the “deceptive” practice could discourage people from reporting crimes to local police due to deportation fears.
“It could trick families into opening their doors to agents from ICE without a warrant,” Velázquez said. “There’s not going to be a lot of trust between the police and the communities.”
ICE spokeswoman Sarah Rodriguez told CNN that “police” is a “universally recognized term for law enforcement.”
“In the often dangerous law enforcement arena, being able to immediately identify yourself as law enforcement may be a life-or-death issue,” Rodriguez said.
Velázquez told the Washington Post that she’s aware the bill might not get a second look, but she wants to “call the attention of the White House and Homeland Security that there are ways to implement immigration in communities without instilling fear.”