Representative Tran Cosponsors Trust Through Transparency Act to Increase Accountability in ICE Actions

Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) cosponsored legislation introduced by Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01) to increase transparency and accountability in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. H.R. 5653, the Trust Through Transparency Act, would require all ICE officials to wear body cameras when interacting with the public in immigration enforcement operations.

Read the full bill text HERE.

"In just three weeks, two U.S. citizens have been gunned down in the streets of Minneapolis by masked ICE agents run amok and we have yet to hold them accountable for their irresponsible actions," said Representative Tran. "Local police across Orange and LA Counties are already required to wear body cameras when interacting with the public and federal officers should be held to the same standard of accountability to the public. Enactment of this legislation is a crucial step in the right direction to begin restoring trust in our federal agents and ensure the safety of the public they are sworn to protect."

The Trust Through Transparency Act mandates that all ICE officers operate body cameras during public-facing immigration enforcement operations. The bill would increase clarity and accountability in ICE actions by implementing disciplinary procedures for noncompliant officers, and requiring that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report to Congress on:

• The total number of public immigration enforcement actions conducted during the reporting period;
• All documented instances of noncompliance, and;
• The disciplinary actions taken against those who fail to comply with the bill's provisions.

Representative Tran continues to closely monitor ICE activity across California's 45th district and has cosponsored legislation to place checks on ICE's conduct, including:

• H.R. 4176, the No Secret Police Act, to prohibit ICE agents from wearing non-tactical face coverings while on duty;
• H.R. 5973, The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, to scale back the level of force permissible in immigration operations;
• H.R. 3172, The ICE Visibility Act, to require ICE agents to wear visible badges or uniforms and clearly identify themselves as such when interacting with the public;
• H.R. 944, The Access to Counsel Act, to ensure that U.S. citizens and individuals with lawful status are able to call an attorney or family member to seek legal assistance when they are detained;
• H.R. 5941, The Restoring Access for Detainees Act, to require DHS to allow noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families, and;
• H.R. 4456, Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act, to prohibit ICE from using federal funds to detain or deport U.S. citizens.

Last week, Tran voted against H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, which provides funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without necessary oversight reforms to ensure the agency operates according to common-sense legal boundaries - including preventing U.S. citizens from being detained or deported. During a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, Tran pressed Secretary Hegsethon the militarized response to domestic protests and lack of coordination with state and local law enforcement to keep those community members who are exercising their First Amendment rights safe. Tran, joined by Representatives Cisneros and Judy Chu (CA-28), also led a letterto U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons condemning the agencies for unlawfully denying their entry to the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility during a statutorily-protected oversight visit conducted on June 8, 2025.

Since taking office in January 2025, Tran's office has opened over 230 cases to assist constituents related to the adjudication of their immigration status with federal agencies.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.