Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with a bit more certainty declared that agents would continue to wear masks when raiding homes for arrests. This decision follows a tidal wave of criticism for the practice. Opponents claim that masks hide accountability and infringe on transparency of police actions. Policy Director Armand Lyons said the ruling is important for keeping agents safe. He focuses on the growing fear of being doxxed and subsequent attacks against them.
In a telling statement from just last month, ICE Director Lyons pointed to a shocking 830% increase in attacks on ICE officers. He emphasized the need for protective measures, stating, “That’s one of our biggest concerns. I’ve said it publicly before, I’m not a proponent of the masks. If that’s a tool that the men and women of ICE need to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it.”
This decision to allow masks is particularly concerning given recent reports of armed masked criminals posing as ICE agents. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a man impersonated an ICE agent. He is under very serious allegations of having forcibly kidnapped and raped a woman. These events have increased fears among ICE staff and led to demands for more protective measures.
Despite Lyons’ defense, a coalition of 21 state attorneys general, including New York’s Letitia James, is urging Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks during operations. The coalition claims that masking practices cause a lack of accountability and damages the public’s trust in law enforcement.
In response to this criticism, Lyons has defended the proposal by claiming that ICE agents can be easily spotted through their tactical vests. “Men and women of ICE, and our DoJ partners, and local law enforcement partners who do help us are identified on their vest,” he stated. Yet for years, critics have called for an end to anonymous arrests.
This legislation will help hold federal agents accountable by compelling them to reveal their identity by displaying their last names, badge or ID numbers on federal agents during operations. Supporters of the act say that it is a necessary first step to provide clear transparency on biases in law enforcement.
Recent data shows an overall drop in the number of reported assaults on ICE officers. During that time frame—January through June 2024—we documented just 10 of those assaults. This was a dramatic drop from the 79 attacks documented over the same time last year. This drop largely outpacing all other federal law enforcement agents has caused some to wonder if the agency is overplaying incidents of violence against its agents.
The risk of coronavirus exposure from travel, large gatherings, or protests raises strong feelings. Simultaneously, ICE has been under heightened pressure for its methods used to pursue undocumented people. FierceHealthcare recently reported that the agency has begun utilizing Medicaid data. Their goal is to identify immigrants believed to be residing illegally in the U.S. This practice is ethically troubling as undocumented immigrants cannot receive Medicaid services at all.
A statistical analysis shows that non-Hispanic Whites make up 39.6% of people on Medicaid. An incredible 84.2% of these same recipients were born in the United States. This national moment provides even more context, especially regarding enforcement tactics that target Black and brown communities.
Under the current administration, ICE has accelerated its purview, targeting Latino communities at an unprecedented rate. This new, tougher enforcement effort is part of the Trump administration’s overall plan to deport one million immigrants a year. Civil and human rights advocates argue that these tactics disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of color and have led to devastating civil rights impacts.