First they wanted to expose federal immigration officials facing unprecedented attacks, and now they want to strip away their legal protections.
U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., introduced the Ending Qualified Immunity for ICE Agents Act on Friday, citing $170 billion in funding for the agency in the recently approved One Big Beautiful Bill he claims “has raised fears of widespread abuse.”
In a statement, Thanedar stated: “Trump’s (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is following a ‘deport now, ask questions later’ policy. They are more interested in hitting quotas and racial profiling than they are in treating people with basic respect and dignity. We’ve seen ICE detain Americans with impunity and commit gross civil rights violations. Qualified Immunity protects them from being held accountable. No more. No one should be above the law, especially those entrusted with enforcing it.”
Thanedar’s legislation would put an end to qualified immunity protections for federal ICE agents, opening up the floodgates for individuals to sue agents over alleged violations of constitutional rights.
Qualified immunity is a legal defense established by the U.S. Supreme Court that shields public officials from civil liability unless their actions violate clearly established legal or constitutional rights.
“If an ICE agent violates the law, it only makes sense they are held accountable just like civilians,” Thanedar said. “With Trump allocating an additional $75 billion to ICE, it’s more important than ever that we demand strict oversight and accountability.”
The legislation follows less than a month after Democrats in both Congress and the Michigan House delivered legislation to expose federal immigration agents at a time when attacks on ICE agents are up 830%.
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced the Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement Act of 2025 in July alongside Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif.
The legislation would require all immigration officials, including deputized state or local officers, to clearly display legible identification — including name or badge number — that’s not obscured by tactical gear or clothing, WLNS reports.
The VISIBLE Act would also ban non-medical face coverings during enforcement operations, though it includes exceptions for environmental hazards or “covert operations.”
The bill’s co-sponsors include Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.
Thanedar and fellow Michigan Democrat U.S. House Reps. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, and Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, are backing similar legislation in the lower chamber.
In Michigan, state Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, took it up a notch with her Justice Needs No Mask Bill, introduced in late July to create a misdemeanor charge with up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 for any law enforcement officer who conceals their identity, with few exceptions.
Republicans in control of the Michigan House and Congress oppose the anti-law enforcement legislation, pointing to a Department of Homeland Security report last month detailing an 830% increase in assaults on ICE agents since January compared to the same period in 2024.
The attacks include a physical assault in New Jersey, officers doxed in Oregon, an ambush in Texas, shots fired on Texas Border Patrol facilities, and masked vigilantes pointing guns at agents in California, among others.
“Representative Salud Carbajal, D-CA, showed a violent mob an ICE employee’s business card, putting a target on his back and prompting the mob to attack him,” according to a DHS release. “The official was struck in the head by a rock and sent to the emergency room where he received multiple stitches.”
The anti-ICE legislation from Democrats “is what happens when you elect people more interested in appeasing the far left than keeping Michigan safe,” state Sen. Jim Runestad, a White Lake Republican who leads the Michigan Republican Party said in a recent statement. “While Republicans are working to get a budget done that protects our communities, Democrats have once again shown they are more interested in partisan games at the expense of public safety.”
