Americans may soon be asked to prove they are citizens when federal agents carry out enforcement operations, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“In every situation we are doing targeted enforcement,” Noem said Thursday during a press gaggle outside the White House. She added, “If we are on a target, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and why they’re there and having them validate their identity.”
Noem’s comments come after protests erupted in Minneapolis and other cities following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. The city has said Good was present as a legal observer during an ICE operation. The Trump administration, however, called her an agitator, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt describing her as a “deranged lunatic” or even a “radical.”
In recent weeks, videos have surfaced showing Americans and protesters being asked for proof of ID by federal agents. Some reacted angrily, insisting they should not have to prove who they are.
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This issue ties back to a Trump executive order from last January, which requires immigrants to carry proof of legal status, including visas, green cards, or other identification. While the law has existed for decades under the Alien Registration Act, it was rarely enforced widely until now. With Trump leaning hard on this rule, everyday Americans may soon be expected to show proof of citizenship during federal immigration actions.
Under the Fourth Amendment, law enforcement cannot demand identification without reasonable grounds to suspect a crime or an intention to cite or arrest. However, failure or refusal to provide ID could still result in an arrest on the basis of suspected wrongdoing.
Legal observers, civilians trained to watch ICE operations, have also been caught in the middle. Observers aim to record the actions of federal agents to prevent overreach or excessive force. But officials in the Trump administration have argued that some of these observers get in the way of agents doing their jobs. Because of that, officers have at times asked them to show identification and, in some cases, even arrested them.
Democratic lawmakers have slammed the administration’s approach. Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto tweeted, “The footage of Americans in Minneapolis being forced to provide proof of their citizenship because of the color of their skin or the language they’re speaking is repugnant. This is what the Supreme Court enabled when they allowed the Trump Admin. to pursue racial profiling. It is morally wrong and against the values of this country.”
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin also criticized the policy, posting on X, “No American is required to CARRY proof of citizenship. We don’t live in a ‘papers, please’ country.”
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
