Federal officers stand atop the U.S. Immigration and Customs building in South Portland, surveying a crowd of about 500 people gathered at the facility following the “No Kings” rally in Portland, Ore., Oct. 18, 2025.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Oregon state Democratic lawmakers approved a measure on Thursday that would prevent federal immigration officers from wearing masks.
The measure is a response to the Trump administration’s nationwide deportation efforts.
“When someone has the power to stop you, question you, detain you, or arrest you, you deserve to know who they are and who they work for,” Sen. WLnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, said on the Senate floor.
House Bill 4138 would require officers to clearly display their name or identifying number, their agency and their badge. The bill also limits the use of facial coverings that conceal a person’s identity, with exceptions for undercover operations and health and safety needs.
Bill Glenn protests against the National Guard deployment to Portland outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Ore., shortly after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the National Guard can deploy to the city on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. Glenn has stage four advanced cancer, but says he’s well enough to protest and can’t stand for what’s happening.
Eli Imadali / OPB
“This is a balanced approach. It protects officer safety where necessary, while ensuring that routine law enforcement authority is not exercised anonymously. When identity is visible, interactions are more likely to remain calm, clear, and accountable,” Campos said.
Videos have spread across the nation showing masked federal officers detaining people in the past several months. Critics have decried them as “secret police” and suggested concealing their identity makes them less accountable for their actions.
The state Legislature in California approved a similar measure to ban federal immigration agents from wearing masks. The Trump administration challenged the law in a federal court. A federal judge ruled the state can’t ban federal agents from wearing masks, but the judge appeared to suggest the ban on masks could be upheld if it wasn’t only applied to federal workers, but to all law enforcement officers.
In Oregon, if the bill is signed by Gov. Tina Kotek, it would apply to all law enforcement operating in Oregon at the local, state and federal authority.
There was very little debate on the bill in the Senate. No Republicans voted for the bill, but two spoke on the measure.
Sen. Fred Girod, R-Silverton, was blunt, saying, “I’m done with the ‘I hate police’ bills,” and sitting back down.
Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, expounded on Girod’s sentiments. He said these types of bills have permeated the short session.
“The demonization of public safety officers is something that has a deep impact that reverberates across our citizenry and the negative perception of public safety in general is something that I have never, nor will I ever support,” said the coastal lawmaker, who announced this week he will challenge U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley this year.
Several Democratically-controlled legislatures across the country, including Oregon, are in the process of adopting legislation to push back on aggressive federal immigration tactics.
