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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, In recent months, federal immigration enforcement |
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agents have increasingly worn masks and other attire to conceal |
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their identities while they conduct public-facing enforcement |
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actions; and |
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WHEREAS, Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members |
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of the public are unable to confirm whether they are interacting |
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with legitimate government officials; this lack of transparency |
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causes confusion and fear while eroding trust in law enforcement, |
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which culminates in high-stress situations that endanger both |
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civilians and law enforcement personnel; in addition, when federal |
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agents fail to properly identify themselves, they create obstacles |
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to accountability and prevent those who are detained from |
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challenging unlawful conduct in court; and |
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WHEREAS, A number of public officials have voiced concern |
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that allowing federal agents to conceal their identities would |
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provide bad actors with more opportunities to impersonate law |
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enforcement personnel and use their anonymity to enact violence; |
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even before the use of masks became commonplace, there was a rise in |
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crimes perpetrated by individuals impersonating law enforcement, |
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including harassment, theft, extortion, assault, battery, sexual |
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assault, and kidnapping; recently, two Minnesota state legislators |
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and their spouses were murdered by an individual who was disguised |
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as a police officer; and |
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WHEREAS, Several incidents involving masked and plainclothes |
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federal agents have created complications for local law |
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enforcement; for example, in June 2025, masked and armed agents |
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from U.S. Customs and Border Protection operated a caravan of |
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unmarked vehicles and attempted to enter the parking lots of Dodger |
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Stadium in Los Angeles, California; after the agents were denied |
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entry by the stadium's security, police officers were called to the |
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scene and the group of federal agents dispersed; the event sparked a |
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wave of speculation and misinformation online, and local officials |
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were left with the burden of finding answers to the onslaught of |
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questions from the public; and |
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WHEREAS, Federal immigration enforcement agencies have yet |
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to issue official policies governing the use of masks by agents or |
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provide a clear justification for allowing agents to conceal their |
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identities; however, some members of the U.S. Congress have |
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introduced legislation to remedy those lax uniform policies; the |
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Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law |
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Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act would require immigration enforcement |
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officers to display clearly visible identification during |
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public-facing enforcement actions; the No Secret Police Act would |
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require law enforcement officers and agents of the Department of |
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Homeland Security to clearly display identification and insignia |
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when detaining or arresting individuals, and the bill would also |
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ban the officers from using home-made, non-tactical masks; the No |
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Anonymity in Immigration Enforcement Act would prohibit |
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing |
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facial coverings while conducting immigration enforcement |
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operations; and |
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WHEREAS, In order to maintain the public's trust and foster |
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healthy relationships with the communities they serve, law |
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enforcement officers, including federal agents, must prioritize |
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transparency and accountability, and the concealment of their |
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identities is antithetical to those values; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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2nd Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the United States |
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Congress to pass legislation requiring federal agents who are |
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conducting arrests to wear proper uniforms and present |
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identification and prohibiting agents from wearing facial |
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coverings during public-facing enforcement actions; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |