ICE agents wouldn't be allowed to wear masks in Massachusetts in proposed legislation
A lawmaker wants to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing masks while on the job in Massachusetts.
State Rep. Jim Hawkins, a Democrat from Attleboro, has introduced a on Beacon Hill that would prevent any law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth from wearing "any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties." They would also be required to have their "name or badge number on their uniforms."
There would be an exception for medical masks and for SWAT teams. Any violation would be a misdemeanor, according to Hawkins.
"For a police officer to detain somebody they have not just their face visible, but they have a badge number visible, probably their name visible and they have a warrant signed by a judge. The ICE officers have none of that," Hawkins said Tuesday.
ICE agents have worn masks during immigration raids in Massachusetts and across the country in recent months, which has drawn criticism from protesters.
WBZ-TV has reached out to ICE for comment on the proposed legislation in Massachusetts but has not heard back yet.
Defending masks for ICE agents
At a news conference in Boston last month, ICE acting director Todd Lyons defended his agents for wearing masks during raids.
"People are out there taking photos of their names, of their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves. So, I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there, put their lives and put their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is," Lyons said.
"They're wearing those masks because we ran an operation with the Secret Service where we arrested someone that was going online, taking their photos, posting their families, their kids' Instagram, their kids' Facebooks and targeting them. So let me ask, is that the issue here, that we're just upset about the masks or is anyone upset with the fact that ICE officers' families were labeled terrorists?"
"No Masks for ICE Act"
New York Representative Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat, has introduced a similar bill in Congress, called the "."
An ICE spokesperson told CBS New York the masks are optional but that "ICE law enforcement and their families are being targeted and are facing a 500% increase in assaults ... due to the demonization of ICE by hostile groups and irresponsible elected officials."
