State, local officials seek to ban ICE agents' masks
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Federal agents wearing masks patrol the halls of immigration court at the Ted Weiss Federal Building on July 09 in New York City. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
A growing number of Democratic-leaning states and cities are weighing proposals to ban federal immigration agents from wearing masks and require them to display IDs when making arrests.
Why it matters: Images of masked, armed agents in plain clothes grabbing people off the streets and rushing them into unmarked vehicles have alarmed many Americans — and put pressure on lawmakers to respond.
The big picture: The proposals could set up another constitutional showdown between states and the federal government over immigration enforcement and civil liberties, as the Trump administration pushes mass deportations.
- Just as conservative-leaning states enacted their own tougher immigration measures during the Biden administration, blue-leaning states and cities now want guardrails in place to check some of the Trump administration's tactics.
Zoom in: Democrat-led state legislatures in California, New York and Massachusetts are discussing or have introduced bills that would ban federal agents from wearing masks in most operations.
- Meanwhile, local leaders in Chicago, Albuquerque and several towns in Southern California are considering proposals to ban masks and require federal agents to wear IDs.
- Supporters argue that such rules would hold Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the same standards followed by local law enforcement officers, who are required to wear badge numbers with their names.
- Those restrictions for state and local law enforcement are in place partly to avoid impersonators from staging fake traffic stops and arrests.
- Another reason some communities want federal agents to be easily identifiable: Raids by ICE agents in plain clothes sometimes have led nearby residents to believe that people were being kidnapped.
The other side: Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, says the rhetoric from Democratic politicians on masked ICE personnel is "demonization" against the agents.
- McLaughlin claims there was an 830% increase in assaults on ICE officials from Jan. 21 to July 14 compared with the same period in 2024 — a stat that immigrant rights advocates have disputed.
- "States can't regulate what federal law enforcement wears," U.S. assistant attorney general for civil rights Harmeet Dhillon posted on X.
What they're saying: "They're grabbing people off of our streets and disappearing people, and it is terrifying," California state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said at a press conference last week announcing the state's proposal to make ICE agents more identifiable.
- The push for new rules for ICE agents reflects "a dialog right from certain folks who are expecting us to do our job, which is to protect them," Mario Trujillo, a City Council member in Downey, California, told Axios.
- The California proposal would require local, state and federal officers in California to reveal their identities — via name tags, badge numbers, or other visible markers — and prohibit face coverings.
The intrigue: The idea has become a campaign issue in the Albuquerque mayor's race, with incumbent Democratic Mayor Tim Keller facing a challenge from fellow Democrat Alex Uballez, a former U.S. attorney.
- Albuquerque should "require federal agents to visually identify themselves as federal law enforcement" and "ban the use of masks in immigration enforcement operations occurring within city limits," Uballez wrote in a plan.
- Keller hasn't said whether he supports the idea, but is urging residents to call Albuquerque police if they want to verify whether an ICE raid is occurring in the city.
Zoom out: While states wrestle with passing their own restrictions on ICE agents, Democrats in Congress are pushing a long-shot effort to require the agents to wear badges and ban them from wearing masks.
- A coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general also has urged Congress to pass a ban on federal immigration agents from wearing masks or plainclothes during enforcement operations.
Between the lines: In Latino communities, there are rising concerns about ICE impersonators assaulting women, Elida Caballero Cabrera, a lawyer with the Washington, D.C.-based Women's Equality Center, told Axios.
- "The reality is that when federal law doesn't protect people, it is up to the states and cities to protect our most vulnerable communities."
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Tricia McLaughlin blamed "demonization" of ICE agents on rhetoric from Democratic politicians (not on possible state and local regulations).
Go deeper: ICE accused of racial profiling in detentions of Latino U.S. citizens
