On July 20, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said that despite the criticism, the agency will continue to allow personnel to wear masks when performing arrests and raids to protect their personal and family safety.
Lyons pointed out on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program that although “personally I do not support wearing masks”, he believes that maintaining this measure is necessary in the context of “information leaks and a surge in attacks on police officers.” He added that cases of impersonating ICE law enforcement officers have become “one of our biggest concerns.”
It is said that attacks on ICE personnel have increased by 830%, but actual data shows that only 10 cases occurred in the first half of 2024, far lower than 79 in the same period last year. At the same time, ICE law enforcement actions set records and the number of arrests soared.
Critics pointed out that a large number of social media videos showed that ICE personnel arrested immigrants without clear identification, wearing equipment with the word “POLICE” but not police identity, which could easily mislead the public. The New York City Bar Association pointed out that the mask practice weakened the transparency and accountability mechanism of law enforcement and was “one of the most urgent problems in current immigration policy.”
Several criminal cases involving impersonation of ICE law enforcement officers have also heightened public concerns. For example, criminals in North Carolina, New York, and Florida have impersonated federal officials to commit kidnapping and sexual assault.
Earlier this year, ICE arrested New York mayoral candidate Land and charged him with assaulting a police officer, but dropped the charges the same day and was also questioned for “exaggerating the obstruction of law enforcement.”
Currently, attorneys general from 21 states in the United States have formed an alliance to call on Congress to legislate to ban immigration officers from wearing masks and to force them to show their identification and agency logos while on duty.
California is promoting the “Anti-Impersonation Law Enforcement Act” to require federal law enforcement officers to disclose their names and numbers.
Los Angeles Mayor Bass also expressed opposition, saying “You have no right to arrest people on the sidewalk wearing a mask.”
