A state bill has been introduced to establish clear ID requirements for ICE agents.
The proposed No Vigilantes Act (SB 805) would require any law enforcement officer working in the state to clearly identify themselves and would prohibit bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement.
On Monday, Senator Renée Pérez, who introduced the bill, spoke about it in front of Pasadena City Hall along with Assemblymember Sade Elhawary and community members.
“When immigration enforcement officers fail to identify themselves and provide proper documentation, they open up the opportunity for vigilantes to target our community,” Pérez said. “These actions by immigration enforcement agents are causing confusion, fear, and mistrust in communities across the state.”
Assemblymember Sade Elhawary, who co-authored the bill, said those ashamed to show their face “don’t belong here.”
“Thugs who are smashing windows with no ID, no badge, just masks and violence - that's not law enforcement,” she said. “It's government-sanctioned kidnapping.”
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Francisco was among those at Pasadena City Hall who spoke about the fear he felt while trying to get the license plate of a perceived ICE agent.
“This wasn't an ICE vehicle, but it was someone who was clearly working for them, most likely a bounty hunter,” he said. “ I ran out toward the intersection at Orange Grove in Los Angeles, Los Robles, where the car had stopped at the red light. I crouched down behind the car and tried to snap a photo. That's when the driver jumped out. He was wearing regular clothes, a tactical vest, a hat, and a mask that covered his face. He pointed what looked like a gun at me and told me to back away from his car. No badge, no name, no explanation. At that moment, I was terrified.”
If it passes, the earliest it could be enacted is in 2026.
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