Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Monday August, 11, Chair Leger Fernández and The Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) led by DWC Reproductive Task Force Co-Chair and Liaison Judy Chu (CA-28) and DWC Members Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-7) sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expressing deep concern over ICE impersonators harassing and abusing women. The Caucus calls for ICE to prioritize women’s safety by requiring ICE agents to visibly and clearly identify themselves when conducting immigration enforcement activities, as well as ensure impersonators are held accountable. 

In the letter, DWC members raised grave concerns about women being assaulted by individuals impersonating ICE agents—taking advantage of the agency’s increased use of masks, plain-clothes and unmarked vehicles. Lack of uniformity makes impersonating ICE and counterfeit ICE gear more accessible and believable. ICE lacks specific regulations on dress, unlike local police officers who are required to have distinguishable forms of identification. In the letter, the Members explain that anyone could order a counterfeit ICE jacket, put on a mask, and claim to be an immigration enforcement officer in order to exploit and assault women. 

“All our lives, we are taught to fear masked men in unmarked vehicles. We learn we should run from such men to avoid being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, or killed. Yet, ICE is increasingly conducting raids and arrests in masks, plain-clothes, without visible identification or badges, using unmarked vehicles – tactics that cause confusion, terror, and mistrust among the public. These tactics invited perpetrators of violence against women to take advantage of the chaos by impersonating masked ICE agents in order to target and sexually assault women,” DWC members explained in the letter. 

Reports of ICE impersonators attacking women began surfacing shortly after President Trump’s inauguration, coinciding with the direction for ICE agents to increase immigration enforcement activities and operate in masks, plain-clothes, using unmarked vehicles. Cases of women being assaulted by ICE impersonators have been reported in several states, including New York, Maryland, and North Carolina.

In the letter, sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Associate Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility Jennifer Fenton, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, and White House Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Thomas Homan, the Members demanded the Trump administration respond with a plan to effectively address this issue and better protect women from harm by those that impersonate ICE as a tool of manipulation, intimidation, or coercion.

“We call on the Department to implement policies and protocols that are responsive to these serious concerns about women’s safety and law enforcement integrity to protect women from further harm. Your current practices leave women vulnerable to life-altering violence. It’s past time to act. Just like local police officers, ICE agents must be required to wear visible and clear identification to ensure their safety, better protect women, and deter impersonators. Finally, impersonators must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law and this violence must be denounced by this administration,” the Members concluded.

You can read the full letter from the Democratic Women’s Caucus here.

In addition to letter leads Judy Chu, Sylvia Garcia, and Nydia Velázquez, the letter was signed by Yassamin Ansari, Suzanne Bonamici, Julia Brownley, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Maxine Dexter, Sarah Elfreth, Valerie Foushee, Laura Friedman, Val Hoyle, Pramila Jayapal, Julie Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Teresa Leger Fernández, Zoe Lofgren, Betty McCollum, LaMonica McIver, Gwen Moore, Kelly Morrison, Brittany Pettersen, Chellie Pingree, Delia Ramirez, Luz Rivas, Deborah Ross, Andrea Salinas, Melanie Stansbury, Jill Tokuda, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson.