Massachusetts Bill Would Force Ice Agents To Unmask

A caller measure successful Massachusetts intends to require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and different national migration enforcement officers to unmask. 

The legislative connection was introduced Wednesday by Democratic authorities Rep. James Hawkins. 

It calls for a caller conception to nan Massachusetts Penal Code that states, "A rule enforcement serviceman shall not deterioration immoderate disguise aliases individual disguise while interacting pinch nan nationalist successful nan capacity of their duties, isolated from for aesculapian people masks that are surgical aliases N95 respirators designed to forestall nan transmission of airborne diseases and masks designed to protect against vulnerability to fume aliases toxins during a authorities of emergency." 

"A usurpation of this conception shall beryllium punishable arsenic a misdemeanor," nan bill, which was co-sponsored by different 10 Democratic authorities representatives, said. 

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Federal agents pinch their faces covered patrol nan halls of nan migration tribunal astatine nan Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building connected July 8, 2025, successful New York City.  ( Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

It says nan intent of nan legislature is to enact authorities "to require rule enforcement officers to see their sanction aliases badge number connected their uniforms," arsenic good arsenic to enact authorities to "ensure that Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) squad officers tin utilize cogwheel basal to protect their faces from beingness harm while they execute their SWAT responsibilities." 

ICE acting head Todd Lyons defended mask-wearing by his agents during a May property convention announcing an cognition had resulted successful astir 1,500 arrests crossed Massachusetts. 

"I’m sorry if group are offended by them wearing masks, but I’m not going to fto my officers and agents spell retired location and put their lives connected nan line, their family connected nan line, because group don’t for illustration what migration enforcement is," Lyons during a property convention successful Boston. "Is that nan rumor present that we’re upset about, nan masks? Or is anyone upset astir nan truth that ICE officers’ families were branded terrorists?" 

During an cognition successful Los Angeles weeks prior, Lyons said, ICE agents were "doxed" – having their individual accusation publicized – and group took photos of agents’ names and faces and posted them online "with decease threats to their families and to themselves."

Most of those arrested successful nan Massachusetts cognition had "significant criminality successful nan U.S. aliases abroad" and agents targeted "the astir vulnerable alien offenders successful immoderate of nan astir crime-infested neighborhoods of Massachusetts," officials said. 

Masked activists rally against nan North Lake Correctional Facility, which was reopened to location immigrants detained by ICE, successful Baldwin, Mich., July 4, 2025. (Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

"If sanctuary cities would alteration their policies and move these convulsive criminal aliens complete to us, into our custody, alternatively of releasing them to nan public, we would not person to spell retired to nan communities and do this," Lyons added. "Boston's my hometown, and it really shocks maine that officials each complete Massachusetts would alternatively merchandise activity offenders, fentanyl dealers, supplier dealers, quality traffickers and kid rapists backmost into nan neighborhoods." 

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Hawkins cited nan March apprehension of Tufts University postgraduate student Rumeysa Ozturk by masked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents extracurricular of her location successful Somerville, Mass. ICE accused nan 30-year-old Turkish nationalist of supporting Hamas, and DHS later confirmed her student visa had been revoked. She was subsequently transported to ICE detention centers successful New Hampshire, Vermont and Louisiana, until a judge approved her merchandise and return to Massachusetts successful May. 

The measure is only nan latest of a bid of legislative proposals brought by Democrats seeking to unmask ICE agents. 

U.S. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., introduced nan "Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement" aliases VISIBLE Act this week. They reason nan measure would "strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for nan Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming migration enforcement strategies that person terrorized communities crossed California and nan nation." 

President Donald Trump speaks during a luncheon pinch African leaders successful nan State Dining Room of nan White House, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, successful Washington.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Reacting to nan Senate bill, President Donald Trump noted really demonstrators protesting ICE and different Trump management policies don masks and different look coverings regularly to hide their identities. 

"It's benignant of funny erstwhile group picket successful beforehand of Columbia, successful beforehand of Harvard, and they person masks connected – much than masks. I mean, you can't spot anything. Nobody complains astir that. But erstwhile a patriot who useful for ICE aliases Border Patrol puts a disguise connected truthful that they won't admit him and his family, truthful they tin lead a small spot of a normal life aft having worked truthful difficult and truthful dangerously, there's a problem pinch that," Trump said Wednesday during a White House gathering pinch African leaders. 

"This is nan problem pinch nan Democrats. They person a batch of bad things going connected successful their heads," Trump added. "They've mislaid their confidence, number one. And they're really – they've go somewhat deranged. I want to do immoderate is basal to protect our awesome rule enforcement people. And they are correct astatine nan apical of nan list." 

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The Justice Department told Fox News Digital connected Wednesday it is actively search nan caller uptick successful "targeted assaults" against national migration enforcement agents and ICE facilities.