By Steve Neavling
The growing use of masks by ICE agents has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups, who say the tactic is meant to intimidate immigrants and avoid accountability, Reuters reports.
Images and videos of masked, often plainclothes ICE agents arresting people in Los Angeles, Boston, and other cities have gone viral in recent weeks, prompting protests and clashes. In one case, several masked agents were seen detaining Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk in a Boston suburb, just weeks after she co-authored an op-ed critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. She was later released by court order.
ICE officials say the masks are necessary to protect agents and their families from threats and doxxing.
“People are out there taking photos of the names, their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves,” said acting ICE chief Todd Lyons.
But critics argue the anonymity makes it harder to file complaints or hold officers accountable.
“In general, law enforcement personnel need to have name patches, badge numbers, or other indicia that the public can see and use to file complaints and ensure accountability and oversight,” said Scott Shuchart, a former ICE policy adviser under President Biden.
The practice has escalated since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Masked ICE agents have been spotted making arrests at courthouses and private homes, and critics say the growing use of tactical gear evokes the “secret police” in authoritarian regimes.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu drew a rebuke from the Department of Homeland Security after she compared masked agents to neo-Nazis.
“Make no mistake, this type of rhetoric is contributing to the surge in assaults of ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
The debate has reached Capitol Hill, where House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the agents’ concealed identities a threat to democratic oversight. The agents’ will be identified “no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes,” he said.
