by A legislator from Massachusetts has suggested that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers be prohibited from hiding their faces.
The bill (HD.4886), which was submitted Monday by state representative Jim Hawkins, a Democrat from Attleboro, would forbid any mask or personal disguise to be used by Commonwealth law enforcement officials while they are performing their jobs and engaging with the public. They would also have to have their name or badge number visible on their uniforms.
SWAT squads and medical-grade masks would be an exemption, though. According to the measure, breaking the law would be considered a misdemeanor.
A wave of outrage over plainclothes ICE officers conducting immigration enforcement raids as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown prompted the proposed legislation.
Rumeysa Ozturkin Somerville’s arrest in March, in particular, has become a focal point of national and local discussions about ICE officials donning masks during immigration raids.
Video footage of Ozturk’s arrest on March 26 shows masked, plainclothes ICE officers outside her Somerville home.
In the footage, one of the agents arrested her and added, “We’re the police.”
“Offscreen, a bystander said, You don’t look like it.” Why do you keep your faces hidden?
The appearance of federal immigration officials and their mask-wearing during arrests in recent weeks have angered Boston local leaders.
In June, ICE agents’ use of facial coverings sparked a public spat between Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, the state’s top federal prosecutor.
Wu stated during the WBUR Festival atalkat that people are afraid for their lives as well as the lives of their neighbors. People [are] being grabbed off the street by masked secret police officers who have no explanation for why they are taking and holding certain individuals.
In response, Foley said that ICE agents are hiding their identities because individuals such as Mayor Wu have spread misleading information about their purpose. There is abuse, doxxing, and threats against federal officers and their kids. They had to cover their faces because of this. Publicizing someone’s personal details, including names, addresses, and phone numbers, is known as “doxxing.”
Have ICE agents faced assaults?
Agents experienced a 300% rise in attacks in April and a 413% increase in May, according to the DHS via X. The DHS revealed in a June press release that assaults on ICE agents had increased by 500%, citing a Breitbart News exclusive as the source of the data.
Attacks on ICE agents have increased recently, but at a moderate rate, according to an annual study from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. According to a DHSUse of Force Incidents report, 15 people assaulted ICE officials in 2022. 22 assaults against ICE officers occurred the following year, a 47% increase. An incident report for 2024 has not been made public by the agency.
Do ICE agents have a uniform?
Jen Bade, an immigration lawyer from Brookline, told the Boston Globe that ICE officials are not obliged to wear a uniform.
According to federal regulations, an ICE agent must identify oneself as an immigration officer with the authority to make an arrest when making one. The reason for the arrest and the fact that the person is under arrest must also be mentioned.
However, in certain instances, ICE officers will first identify themselves as police officers without mentioning that they are ICE, according to Bade.
In recent weeks, there has been a growing concern in Boston about the way federal immigration agents make arrests and collaborate with local law enforcement.
Wu formally issued an executive order in mid-June asking ICE to be more transparent about who federal officials are detaining and why. She echoed earlier complaints that ICE was functioning as secret police and reaffirmed worries about federal immigration officers wearing masks during a related press conference.
In Boston, officers don’t usually wear masks; instead, they wear badges. According to her, we are transparent about the grounds for any possible interactions or arrests. Regardless of the agency they work for, we hold law enforcement in the city to the same standards.
We’d like to hear your thoughts on the ongoing controversy over federal immigration officials hiding their identity.
Send us an email at [email protected] or complete the form to let us know, and your answer might be featured in a future Boston.com article.
How do you feel about ICE agents wearing masks?
Annie Jonas writes for Boston.com as a community writer. She used to work as a freelancer at the Financial Times and as a local editor at Patch.
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