By Rosa L. and Roslenny O.
Immigrants come to New York looking for safety, not to be chased by people who act like secret police. When immigration agents hide their faces, wear plain clothes, and use unmarked cars, families have no idea who is taking their loved ones or how to complain. New York State should follow California and pass a “No Secret Police for New York” law to unmask immigration-enforcement agents, protect sensitive places like schools and hospitals, and create real consequences when rights get violated.
In 2025, California passed the first law in the country to limit masks and face coverings for most law-enforcement officers, including federal agents, and to make them show clear ID and agency labels while they work. That came after years of stories about masked, unidentified officers grabbing people at protests and in immigrant neighborhoods, leaving communities scared and confused. New York likes to call itself a civil-rights leader, but there is still no statewide rule stopping immigration agents from hiding who they are on our streets, in our subways, or outside our homes.
For immigrant New Yorkers, especially undocumented people and mixed‑status families, secretive tactics turn normal life into constant fear. When ICE uses unmarked vans and plain clothes, people cannot tell the difference between a stranger and a federal officer. That makes it harder to fight illegal arrests, find witnesses, or even file a complaint. Kids can see a parent taken away with no name, no badge, and no explanation. Students at East Bronx Academy wrote to officials and said shelters and basic resources are already limited, and aggressive ICE tactics make it even harder to ask for help.
A strong “No Secret Police for New York Act” should do at least five things. It should ban masks and face coverings for immigration-enforcement agents while they are operating in New York, except for clear safety reasons like riot gear, medical masks, or real undercover work. It should require visible identification on outer clothing, including agency name and a name or badge number, plus clear markings on vehicles used for raids and arrests. It should protect sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, shelters, places of worship, and courthouses by requiring a real judicial warrant before enforcement happens there. It should protect peaceful protestors, legal observers, journalists, and people recording ICE operations so they cannot be punished just for using their First Amendment rights. And it should set up a strong complaint system, public reporting, and a private right to sue when rights are violated.
Some people say agents need masks and secrecy for “security.” But that ignores the power difference between armed federal officers and regular community members. There can be narrow exceptions for riot control, serious documented threats, or undercover cases, as long as they are written down and overseen. What is not okay is turning immigrant neighborhoods into zones where anyone can be grabbed by a masked officer with no badge number and no accountability. Real public safety needs trust, and there is no trust when law enforcement literally hides its face.
Students have already drafted their own “No Secret Police for New York Act,” started a petition, and created letter and postcard templates for classmates and adults to send to Albany. Now state leaders need to step up. Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Member Chantel Jackson, and other lawmakers should introduce and pass this law to unmask immigration agents, protect sensitive places, and give our communities real tools to fight abuse. New York should not fall behind while other states move forward. Passing a “No Secret Police for New York” law would prove that transparency, civil rights, and immigrant safety actually matter here.