State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez in Sierra Madre (File Photo – Lauren Pressmen)
Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) issued a statement applauding a recent FBI memo urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to clearly identify themselves during enforcement actions. Pérez called the memo “a rare moment of rational thought by the federal government” amid what she described as a “cruel and aggressive immigration enforcement crackdown.”
By News Desk
The senator expressed concern over reports of individuals claiming to be law enforcement officers who have detained people from unmarked vehicles without proper identification. Pérez noted that such incidents have involved both legitimate agents failing to identify themselves and criminals impersonating immigration officers to prey on vulnerable residents.
“These actions erode public trust and endanger our communities,” Pérez said. “We need to know who is conducting law enforcement on our streets.”
Pérez highlighted her recently authored legislation, Senate Bill 805, the No Vigilantes Act, as a step toward improving transparency and accountability. The new law expands existing impersonation statutes to make it illegal to pose as peace officers, including federal agents, and requires all law enforcement personnel in California to display identification showing their agency and either a name or badge number. It also allows officers to request identification from anyone claiming to be law enforcement under certain conditions and prohibits bounty hunters from participating in immigration enforcement within the state.
“Our communities, especially immigrant communities—must be able to trust law enforcement, as the FBI memo correctly points out,” Pérez said. “That trust begins with being able to distinguish between real law enforcement and vigilantes. I urge ICE to immediately adopt this FBI directive.”
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