ICE agents wearing masks add new levels of danger, intimidation, confusion during L.A. raids

For many Angelenos, the faces hidden behind armed federal agents – neck hikers and Balaclavas – jump from unmarked vans to grab the streets offers a clear threat to public security.

Federal immigration agents arrest and detained everyone they suspect that they violate the laws of immigration, and critics warn their masking tactics – especially when they do not wear straight clothes and visible identity signs – to the forced citizens and non -legal immigrants.

“This is very dangerous,” said Scott Shuchart, who worked as an assistant manager and policy consultant from 2022 to January this year for the US immigration and customs protection.

“If someone comes to you with a mask and t -shirt and badge, why do you think they use a legitimate authority, contrary to being a violent criminal trying to harm? ”Schuchart said.

However, defenders of federal immigration agents also refer to the security of security as a reason for masking.

Without legal documents, immigrants present as a threat to public security. Most people arrested in La in early June had no criminal records. They also argue that masking is necessary, because the convergence of factors – super -charging political rhetoric, more sophisticated face recognition technology and increasing threat of apocalypse on social media – makes the work more dangerous for agents in the field.

Mathew Silverman, the National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said, ız We have many agents whose faces are put on social media platforms throughout the country, ”he said. “We will find these federal agents with the mask now. We have politicians who say that we will reveal them.

Law enforcement tactics, critics say that masking does not make officers safer and only increases the tension. Some claim that federal agents do not operate under greater threat than local authorities.

“Regular police officers appeared every day, and rosette numbers appear every day, and their identity is not considered to be insecure for people in the public, Stu said Stuart Schrader, a professor of history at the University of John Hopkins.

“I think it is clear that agents are trying to create a show of a certain intimidation and lack of democratic control,” he said. “They show themselves anonymously, show that they are not responsible to any people.”

Is masking necessary?

Since the Trump administration set a new target to arrest 3,000 unauthorized immigrants per day, authorities say that they did not bring a new policy that requires agents to conceal their identity.

“Rules have not changed in the masks, Tr says Tricia McLawhlin Times, the internal security department spokesman.

Last week, the US Chief Public Prosecutor Pam Bondi claimed that in a Senate sub -committee, he did not know that open agents hidden their faces while arresting. However, Bondi seemed to justify masking, saying that civil servants and their families were threatened and ninety.

“If they cover their faces now, it is to protect themselves,” he said. “But they also want to protect all citizens.”

Is masking legal?

The US Constitution has no ban against masking, and the federal law prohibits the mask of federal law enforcement officers.

“This is perfect legal, Ed said Edward Obayashi, Deputy Sheriff of Northern California, Special Prosecutor and Power Use Expert.

DHS arrangements Ask migrant officers to identify themselves during the arrest, as soon as they become practical and safe ”.

California state law It is more specific, it requires uniform civil servants “a badge, name plate or another device that clearly carries the identity number or name of the officer”.

Obayashi said, “We will not mask ourselves in California,” Obayashi said. “We can’t mask our identities, especially in patrol. Uniform. This is just common sense.”

What did Trump management officials say about the masks?

Ice Director Todd Lyons defended the application of federal civil servants hiding their identities.

At the beginning of June, “I apologize if people are uncomfortable wearing masks,” he said. “But I will not allow my officers and agents to go out there and leave their lives, even their families, because people don’t like what their immigration sanctions are.”

In an interview FOX NewsLyons said that “the demonization of agents is not true, it was called the modern Nazis”.

This week, DHS said that the ice officers and federal agents carrying out execution operations increased by 700% in attacks. The Federal Agency rejected demands for details of attacks on raw numbers and ice agents; FOX News Notified, ICE, from January 21, 2024 to June 30, 2024 and 79 “attack events” 10 “attack activity” recorded.

Are the agents doxed?

Some claim that federal agents are frightened in recent years as a doxing threat for their families, not only for them, but for their families.

Silverman, “John Q. Citizen there is taking videos of this agent and publishing on social media,” he said. “The picture published by this agent, then his addresses were published. ‘Go to this house and protest in front of this person’s house.’ ‘Oh, this is extremely frightening for a 15 -year -old son.

Silverman said that federal agents were wearing masks to prevent endangering future secret operations. He argued that if some agent carries out street operations without covering street operations, his faces could be caught on the camera and that he could be broadcast on the Internet in a way that makes it vulnerable against criminals for the coming years.

Silverman, “criminals also used face recognition,” he said. “Now they’re taking my face there and for five or 10 years, they’re pulling me to face recognition and explosion! ‘Wait, this man was a law enforcement officer.’ ‘

What precedent is for US federal agents adopting widespread masking?

Most experts agree that the long -standing tradition in the United States is for uniform and recognizable engagement.

Silverman said that masks have long been used by immigration agents to protect their identities during sensitive hidden operations, such as a raid directed on a dangerous drug house or cartel. However, they are not typically used in regular patrols or widely.

A FBI SWAT team poses for a photo at the 1994 World Cup in New Jersey, Secaucus.

(Remi Benali/Getty Images)

Over the years, Schrader said that individual law enforcement officers frequently push the limits of people who can think of acceptable legal standard practices.

He said that the counter -intelligence program of the FBI of the 1950s and the 1960s was accepted as a certain land on the federal law enforcement officers due to their secret and illegal activities such as violating the constitutional rights of people, being involved in violence and conducting secret operations for political reasons.

“The biggest difference here is that everything is in the broadest daylight, Sch said Schrader. “This is completely exposed.”

How does it change the relationship between law enforcement, citizens and law enforcement officers?

Many civilian leaders in Metro La say that the implementation of masked federal agents adds confusion in their communities.

“‘How can I know if the masked man who detained me is an ice or kidnapper?’ And, ‘Who can protect me if a man with an armed masked refuses to identify himself?’ “Mayor of Burbank Nikki Perez in question Tuesday.

In Burbank, when the fears of imposition turned into reality on Sunday, when two masked man stopped a woman outside the Mystic Museum in Magnolia Park.

According to the Burbank Police Department, men left a white SUV, stopped a woman and mimic the federal immigration agents and asked for their newspapers. Thanks to witnesses Perez said that the woman could leave without any more harassment or worse.

Perez said, “What does not leave our community or residents is a new sense of fear and security uncertainty for everyone in our community, regardless of their immigration situations.”

Can MPs require federal agents to wear a mask?

Some congress members No ice law mask– A federal invoice that will prohibit ice agents from using facial covers during operationsExcept for certain security reasons. It will also require agents to wear visible identities that clearly show their names and agency relationships.

However, a Republican joint sponsor has not yet been activated. Until this happens, there is very little momentum in the house -controlled house.

In Sacramento, democratic laws introduced the Secret Police Law, a bill of law, which requires civil servants operating in California to provide a clear identity and masking.

However, a law professor of law in three San Francisco, David Levine, said that a state law could not control the behavior of federal civil servants. “Even if California passes this,” he said, “It doesn’t immediately affect what ICE chose to do.”

Some experts who advocate mask say that each federal agent thinks that everyone should have a clear identity for the safety of everyone.

“Absolutely 100%, a badge needs to be visible, Sil Silverman said, adding that agents would support federal requirements for identity. “The same thing as the mark… It doesn’t matter which agency you are in, you must be identifiable.”

In an age where everyone can order a dea patch or a FBI hat, it is vital that Silverman agents were identified.

“What I’m afraid of will think that someone will think that a federal agent is imitated, but will be a real agent,” he said. “Or the opposite.”

What could be if there was a conflict with a masked federal agent?

Levine told the country’s senior government lawyer Bondi to take the issue of identity seriously and write a letter of advisory with open instructions on badges, uniforms and masking to federal agents.

“Someone will make mistakes,” Levine said. “Someone will be shot or killed – and that may be an officer.”

If someone had pulled their weapons, Levine would be quite easy to say ‘I felt under threat’ – in a situation with the law of “stop the ground” law.

“I thought I was under the attack. I didn’t know they were a police.

If a masked officer with uniforms or an identity would injure someone in the fight, even if he was going to kill someone in the fight, California officials could not bring criminal charges.

Obayashi said, “No state prosecutor can blame a federal officer,” Obayashi said. “They can’t even bring state charges for extreme power.”