---
title: SB 389. Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies; covered immigration officers wear visible identification during public immigration enforcement functions; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb389
cite_as: SB 389, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb389
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb389.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb389/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72172
date: 2026-01-14
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb389.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 389
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-13
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Kim Jackson
- Harold Jones
- Elena Parent
- Sheikh Rahman
- Nikki Merritt
- Nan Orrock
- RaShaun Kemp
- Tonya Anderson
- Nabilah Islam Parkes
- Randal Mangham
- Sally Harrell
- Gail Davenport
- Kenya Wicks
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB389/2025
upstream_id: 2073944
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- immigration enforcement
- ICE officer identification
- law enforcement transparency
- face coverings
- immigration policy
---
# SB 389. Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies; covered immigration officers wear visible identification during public immigration enforcement functions; require
## Text
Senate Bill 389
By: Senators Jackson of the 41st, Jones II of the 22nd, Parent of the 44th, Rahman of the 5th,
Merritt of the 9th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions concerning law enforcement officers and agencies, so as to require
covered immigration officers to wear visible identification during public immigration
enforcement functions; to provide specifications for such identification; to prohibit such
officers from wearing face coverings during such functions; to provide for definitions; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 1 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions concerning law enforcement officers and agencies, is amended by adding a new
Code section to read as follows:
"35-1-17.1.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Covered immigration officer' means a person who is authorized to perform
immigration enforcement functions and who is an officer or employee of United States
Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
(2) 'Public immigration enforcement function' means any activity that involves the direct
exercise of federal immigration authority through public-facing operations, including, but
not limited to, patrol, stops, arrests, searches, interviews to determine immigration status,
raids, checkpoint inspections, and service of judicial or administrative warrants. Such
term does not include covert, nonpublic-facing operations or nonenforcement activities.
(3) 'Visible identification' means the display of 'United States Immigration and Custom
Enforcement' or 'ICE,' along with the covered immigration officer's last name or badge
identification number, all in a size and format that complies with the requirements of
subsection (c) of this Code section.
(b) A covered immigration officer who directly engages in a public immigration
enforcement function within this state shall wear visible identification at all times during
such function.
(c) The visible identification required by subsection (b) of this Code section shall:
(1) Display 'United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement' or 'ICE' in a size and
format that is clearly legible from a distance of not less than 25 feet, using materials or
markings suitable for visibility in both daylight and low-light conditions under normal
operational conditions;
(2) Display the covered immigration officer's last name or badge identification number
in a manner that is clearly visible and readable during any public immigration
enforcement function; and
(3) Be worn on the covered immigration officer's outermost garment or gear and shall
not be hidden, concealed, or covered by tactical equipment, body armor, or accessories.
(d) A covered immigration officer shall not wear nonmedical face coverings, including
masks, hoods, or balaclavas, which impair the visibility of the identifying information
required under this Code section or hide, conceal, or cover such officer's face unless such
face covering is necessary to protect the integrity of a covert, nonpublic operation or to
guard against hazardous environmental conditions."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate bill would require federal immigration officers performing public enforcement actions in the state to wear visible identification showing their agency and name or badge number, and would generally bar them from wearing face coverings during those actions.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently has no state requirement about how federal immigration officers identify themselves during public enforcement actions like arrests, stops, or raids. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's law enforcement code (O.C.G.A. Chapter 1 of Title 35) that applies to 'covered immigration officers,' defined as officers or employees of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who are authorized to carry out immigration enforcement.
Under the bill, these officers would have to wear visible identification, showing 'United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement' or 'ICE' plus their last name or badge number, whenever they are directly engaged in public-facing enforcement activity such as patrols, stops, arrests, searches, raids, checkpoints, or serving warrants. The identification must be legible from at least 25 feet, visible day and night, and worn on the outermost layer of clothing or gear where it cannot be hidden. Officers would generally be barred from wearing masks, hoods, or balaclavas that hide their face or the required identification, except when needed to protect a covert operation or for protection against hazardous conditions. Covert operations and nonenforcement activities are excluded from these rules.
### What it does
- Adds a new Georgia Code section requiring ICE officers performing public immigration enforcement functions in Georgia to wear visible identification.
- Defines which activities count as 'public immigration enforcement functions,' including patrols, stops, arrests, searches, raids, checkpoints, and warrant service, while excluding covert operations.
- Specifies that identification must show 'ICE' or the agency's full name plus the officer's last name or badge number, legible from 25 feet in day and night conditions.
- Requires the identification to be worn on the outermost garment where it cannot be concealed by tactical gear, armor, or accessories.
- Prohibits officers from wearing face coverings like masks, hoods, or balaclavas that hide their face or required ID, unless needed for a covert operation or protection from hazardous conditions.
### Who it affects
This bill directly affects officers and employees of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who carry out public immigration enforcement in Georgia, as well as the people they interact with during stops, arrests, raids, and checkpoints, who would be able to see identifying information about the officers involved.
### Why it matters
If enacted, people encountering ICE officers during public enforcement actions in Georgia, such as stops or raids, would generally be able to see the agency name and an officer's name or badge number, and officers would largely be barred from masking their identity, changing what the public can observe during these encounters.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 35-1-17.1 to Georgia law, defining 'covered immigration officer' as an ICE officer or employee authorized to perform immigration enforcement.
- Subsection (a)(2) defines 'public immigration enforcement function' broadly to include patrols, stops, arrests, searches, interviews, raids, checkpoints, and warrant service, but excludes covert or nonpublic operations.
- Subsection (b) requires covered officers to wear visible identification at all times while directly engaged in a public immigration enforcement function.
- Subsection (c) sets specific display standards: legible from 25 feet, visible in daylight and low light, worn on the outermost garment, and not concealable by gear or armor.
- Subsection (d) bars nonmedical face coverings that hide an officer's face or required identification, with exceptions for covert operations or hazardous environmental conditions.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-13)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-01-14)
- Sponsors: Kim Jackson, Harold Jones, Elena Parent, Sheikh Rahman, Nikki Merritt, Nan Orrock, RaShaun Kemp, Tonya Anderson, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Randal Mangham, Sally Harrell, Gail Davenport, Kenya Wicks
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72172
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb389.md?full=1