Viewpoint: No secret police – limit federal power to protect liberty

Elie Boldman

The killing of Renée Good by federal immigration agents is a tragedy that demands more than grief and outrage. It demands action.

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement escalates aggressive enforcement tactics in our communities, states across the country are stepping up to defend due process, transparency, and the constitutional limits on government power. These efforts are not about immigration politics. They are about whether masked, armed agents of the federal government should be allowed to operate in secrecy, without accountability, in the same neighborhoods where Americans live, worship, learn, and seek medical care.

History teaches us the danger of unchecked federal force — and in the West, we know that history well. In 1992, at Ruby Ridge, a poorly conceived federal operation ended with the deaths of Randy Weaver’s wife and son. It became a defining moment in our national reckoning with federal overreach, reminding us that when law enforcement abandons restraint and transparency, the consequences are real, tragic, and often irreversible. Innocent people pay the price. Today, we are confronting echoes of that failure once again.

The Constitution does not permit secret police. Our Founders rejected the idea of masked, unidentifiable government agents roaming civilian spaces, empowered to detain or use lethal force without clear accountability. Due process, civilian oversight, and the simple right to know who is exercising power over you are not partisan concepts — they are foundational American principles. Or at least they’re supposed to be.

That is why I introduced legislation to rein in ICE and restore basic constitutional guardrails in Montana.

First, no law enforcement officer — including federal agents — should be permitted to conceal their identity while exercising police powers. California has already enacted such a policy, and states as politically diverse as Florida and Missouri have introduced similar legislation. This is not radical. It is common sense. When officers hide their faces and names, they undermine public trust and make accountability nearly impossible. That is unacceptable in a democracy.

Second, communities must be protected spaces. States including Arizona, Colorado, Rhode Island, and New York have advanced legislation limiting ICE access to schools, daycares, health facilities, courts, libraries, religious institutions, shelters, and workplaces. These are places where people go for safety, justice, education, and care — not fear. When federal agents enter these spaces, they deter crime reporting, medical treatment, and school attendance, harming entire communities in the process.

Finally, accountability must be real. As an attorney in my day job, I believe deeply that there must be meaningful pathways for individuals to sue federal agents who violate our God-given individual rights. No one is above the Constitution — not even someone with a badge and a federal acronym.

Across the political spectrum, opposition to masked, unidentifiable enforcement — “secret police” in all but name — is growing. Libertarians have warned about this for decades. Faith-based leaders, including Catholic bishops, have spoken out for human dignity and moral restraint. When those groups agree, it’s usually worth paying attention.

Montana’s history is a testament to resistance against tyranny and unchecked power. From our frontier roots to citizens standing up to federal monopolies and abuses in the early 20th century, Montanans have always believed that government must answer to we the people.

Renée Good’s death should be a turning point. We must choose transparency over secrecy, accountability over impunity, and constitutional government over fear. History has already shown us what happens when we don’t.

Ellie Boldman is a senior Montana State Senator and licensed attorney from Missoula.