* The Hill…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting Director Todd Lyons said agents can continue to use masks in the field, even as the agency has increasingly come under fire for moves that limit identification of its personnel. […]
“I’ve said it publicly before, I’m not a proponent of the masks. However, if that’s a tool that the men and women of ICE to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it,” he said. […]
Masked, plainclothes officers have also been conducting arrests at immigration courthouses. ICE attorneys will move to dismiss a case, a practice that most migrants interpret as the agency dropping efforts to deport them but opens the agency to then arrest them and place them in expedited removal proceedings that largely receive no court review.
Lyons disputed that agents are not identifiable, saying they should be wearing clothing with some kind of ICE insignia.
* NBC Chicago…
During a controversial ICE action in Chicago earlier this year, federal agents wearing facemasks could be seen in the South Loop taking undocumented people into custody. Many of the agents wore civilian clothing, with no name tags or badges.
* Block Club Chicago today…
Alds. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) and Andre Vazquez (40th) on Wednesday introduced a resolution to the City Council that calls on state legislators to pass laws banning federal agents who are conducting arrests from wearing masks.
Lawmakers should also pass legislation that would require federal agents to wear appropriate uniforms and identify themselves, according to the proposed resolution, which was co-sponsored by Mayor Brandon Johnson and 18 alderpeople. […]
With the resolution, which is not legally binding, city leaders join a growing number of state, local and national officials pushing for legislation banning mask-wearing among federal agents and requiring immigration agents to identify themselves.
The proposed resolution was referred to the city’s rules committee, where legislation is often sent to die.
* The Gothamist…
New York lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would ban law enforcement officers — including federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — from wearing masks. […]
That’s a major constitutional question raised by the bill, according to Jessica Bulman-Pozen, a constitutional law professor at Columbia Law School. She said that if the measure advanced, it was likely to face a legal challenge.
She also said there’s a “strong case” that the state should be able to enact the bill, if it becomes law, since it affects all law enforcement officers and doesn’t single out federal officers.
[State Assemblymember Tony Simone, the bill’s sponsor] said he’s been in touch with constitutional lawyers who say the bill is legally sound.
…Adding… Rep. Patrick Sheehan…
State Representative Patrick Sheehan has introduced House Resolution 428 to affirm his support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to call attention to the growing threats faced by ICE officers.
“Many ICE officers and their families are being harassed and assaulted which is horrific and unacceptable,” Rep. Sheehan said. “They wear masks, sunglasses, and hats in the field to avoid being targeted at home by dangerous individuals. As a police officer, I know this is a common practice used by tactical and undercover officers during dangerous encounters. These officers and their families deserve to be protected from malicious intent.”
HR0428 outlines the crucial role ICE plays in upholding national security and federal immigration law, noting its collaboration with law enforcement agencies across Illinois. The resolution raises serious concerns about provisions in the Illinois TRUST Act, which prevent local authorities from assisting ICE in their duties, potentially undermining enforcement efforts and exposing officers to increased danger.
ICE officers have faced a sharp rise in assaults during enforcement operations, a reported 830% increase, alongside a troubling trend of personal information being published online with malicious intent. HR0428 recognizes the need to protect ICE officers from doxxing and harassment both on and off duty.
“I filed this resolution to make it clear that protecting public safety includes protecting those who enforce the law,” said Rep. Sheehan. “Our federal officers deserve respect for their service.”
Thoughts?
* More…
* Press Release | Attorney General Raoul Joins Coalition Urging Congress To Pass Legislation To Curb Unscrupulous ICE Tactics: In their letter, Raoul and the attorneys general express concern over escalating incidents involving masked Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers dressed in plain clothes and driving unmarked vehicles detaining individuals on streets, at homes, workplaces and courthouses. The coalition criticizes ICE’s opaque conduct as a stark departure from the transparency and accountability long practiced by traditional law enforcement agencies. These tactics, their letter states, pose significant safety risks and instill fear rather than foster public safety.
* The Tribune | ‘We’re tired of this’: Cicero residents demand action from town president after Latina aunt stopped by federal agents: Vanessa Mendoza, an early childhood educator in Cicero, was gathering materials for her classroom in late June when she paused to look at Facebook. What she saw shocked her. Posted on the social media site was a video of her aunt, Rocío, being pulled over by unidentified agents driving black vehicles who questioned her citizenship — despite her legal status to be in the United States. The agents did not specify why they pulled Rocío over or which agency they were affiliated with, Mendoza, 32, who grew up in Cicero, said at a news conference outside the town hall Thursday morning. After Rocío showed identification, she was not arrested or detained, her niece added.
* WaPo | ICE chief stands by mask use in immigration raids, despite criticism: On Sunday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) voiced her objections to the practice in a television interview, saying: “These masked men pull up in unmarked cars and jump out of the cars with rifles and detain people. So, for the average citizen, it looks like it’s a violent kidnapping.” Protests in Los Angeles over the immigration raids prompted the unprecedented deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to the city in June.
* Axios | ICE arrests of noncriminals spike in Illinois: In January, ICE arrested 160 people in Illinois, of whom 31% had no criminal charge, an Axios analysis found. By June, 61% of the 333 people ICE arrested in the state had no criminal charge.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 9:47 am:
==that would require federal agents to wear appropriate uniforms and identify themselves==
Though I agree they should wear something that clearly identifies them I don’t think the state can tell the federal government what to do.
- James the Intolerant - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 9:51 am:
I can’t wait to see the great public safety minded employees ICE hires with the Big Bill funding. s//
- Incandenza - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 9:57 am:
== I don’t think the state can tell the federal government what to do. ==
What happens when the federal government is flouting constitutional order and ignoring federal courts?
- Steve - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 9:58 am:
Immigration is a federal issue. Congress needs to pass a law. It really doesn’t matter what state and local government think about ICE. I do agree that all federal agents need to have identification.
- Juice - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 10:02 am:
Could just throw a bone to the MAGA crowd and ban everyone from wearing masks on the public right of way and on private property unless specifically permitted by the owner of the property.
- H-W - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 10:11 am:
When the “brownshirts” (black today) with the biggest weapons and overwhelming force are afraid to be identified with their actions, perhaps it is their actions that are questionable.
If any people in our country have no recourse to know the names of the arresting officers and the charges, much less access to due process, then our U.S. Constitution is invalid, and subject to the whims of a police state.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 10:37 am:
- subject to the whims of a police state. -
And one that’s about to become much larger. My YouTube feed is being inundated with recruitment ads.
It’s sickening to watch my tax dollars blown on this nonsense. To anyone out there eager to sign on, well, I can’t say it here.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 10:39 am:
=then our U.S. Constitution is invalid, and subject to the whims of a police state.=
Our failing is in not contemplating this scenario. The existing guardrails aren’t holding and there’s no reason to believe the city or state can remedy that. And the current President would like nothing more than an escalation similar to what occurred in Los Angeles.
- Casper the Ghost Bus - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 10:56 am:
If you really want ICE to stop wearing masks have Gov Pritzker issue an emergency order requiring them to wear masks. /snark/notsnark
- Occasionally Moderated - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 11:13 am:
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
It is not too much to ask to have at least one officer in a proper uniform present.
We are being trolled by the administration for wearing masks during covid. We are being trolled for the protesters wearing masks.
It is not acceptable.
- TJ - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 11:15 am:
Dear Rep Sheehan,
ICE agents are getting harassed due to the vast increase in their blatantly unconstitutional harassment, kidnapping, and incarceration of legal residents, both citizens and non-citizens, and the lack of any due process to guarantee that unlawful detentions aren’t taking place.
Don’t like it? Well, don’t tread on us then.
- Garfield Ridge Guy - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 11:27 am:
ICE agents should obviously be required not to wear masks, but also no politician should ever spend one second of time on a non-binding resolution.
- Larry Bowa Jr - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 11:30 am:
I think that if my car gets surrounded or I get surrounded in the street by a bunch of masked men not displaying any identifiable police while ID trying to throw me in the back of a car to take me God knows where, we are going to have a gunfight.
2A and all that.
- Google Is Your Friend - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:28 pm:
==As a police officer, I know this is a common practice used by tactical and undercover officers==
Then as a police officer, Sheehan would also know the most consistent deep misconduct in police departments is plainclothes policing. The “anti-crime” unit at NYPD, the GTTF in Baltimore, the Special Operations Section in CPD (whose reign of terror was only brought to halt because they were preparing to murder at least one other police officer), or the infamous Rampart CRASH scandal in LA, where one police officer did kill another.
If this kind of policing is so okay, would Sheehan want it on his own block?
- Friendly Bob Adams - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:31 pm:
The NBC Chicago artice states a fact not in evidence, namely that ICE officers are “taking undocumented people into custody”
That’s sloppy journalism. It has been established that ICE is also taking American citizens into custody, as well as people with valid visas. In many cases these people are held for weeks.
- Amy - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:35 pm:
I don’t think Chicago is about to get flooded with ICE raids like LA. People forget El Chapo’s top guys operated out of Chicago. Their wives? Daughters of CPD officers. Maybe that’s just something talked about in the Latino community. But I thought 20/20 Interviewed the wives.
These “contractors” ICE uses are not trained professionals. They’re rent a hires playing dress up. And if they start breaking windows or snatching more people off the street here… don’t be surprised if we start seeing Narcos: Chicago edition. Cartels have already come out & said they’ve had enough of ICE terrorizing the Latino/Mexican community. VERY similar to the mob protecting Italian Americans during and after WWII. Interesting to see history repeat itself & what is gonna happen.
- Mason County - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:40 pm:
Allowed to use masks? YES. Required to present ID? YES
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:49 pm:
=Cartels have already come out & said they’ve had enough of ICE terrorizing the Latino/Mexican community.=
Which, if true, would only serve to embolden the current administration. It would be the best possible scenario they could hope for.
- H-W - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:57 pm:
From what I read, Rep. Sheehan is openly acknowledging he opposes due process. Stating this, it is clear he is unfit for public service, and in violation of his Oath of Office.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 12:59 pm:
===in violation of his Oath of Office===
Take a breath.
- levivotedforjudy - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 1:00 pm:
And yet, some people are enjoying this. I’m referring to whoever painted swastikas with the tag line “ICE RULES” in Chicago’s Little Village. This is grim and sickening. At some point there will be either cowering or very hard push back. This is ugly, but where we are.
- Juice - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 2:22 pm:
What officers are wearing masks while working undercover?
Unless this is Mission Impossible, I’m pretty sure they’re not going out of their way top stand out as potentially being a police officer by wearing a mask.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 2:43 pm:
If unidentified armed men tried to kidnap me, I would legally defend myself.
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 2:52 pm:
My rule of thumb about policing is “is it something you could expect from the Pinochet administration, then it’s bad.” This is bad. It’s giving unidentified people maximum authority with zero accountability. We are on course to looking like a third world country ruled by warlords and not the rule of law.
- H-W - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 3:47 pm:
@ Rich
=== Take a breath. ===
Thanks.
- old guy - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 4:26 pm:
H-W was correct in the original post. Judges, who are increasingly threatend, don’t wear masks. Regular state and local police don’t wear masks. ICE is only special b/c of its unconstitutional conduct.
- ChicagoVinny - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 5:31 pm:
I generally think when faced with a lawless administration in DC, IL should be looking at how it can use federalism to protect its citizens.
Passing this law is worth it even if parts of it get tossed in courts, because it will slow down ICE’s lawlessness.
I think it’d be a good idea to require police in the state to stop and identify people who are geared up and masked and make sure they are actually federal agents. After the imposter in Minnesota and other places, can’t be too careful.
- Occasionally Moderated - Tuesday, Jul 22, 25 @ 5:36 pm:
State and local officers do wear balcalavas under certain circumstances. Usually with uniforms and usually with an officer in full uniform (not a tactical one).
Usually search warrants when some of the officers work undercover roles.
ISP tactical units started wearing them sometimes after an ISP officer shot and killed a white supremecist in a grocery store on the north side I believe. The team recieved threats after that event.
Again- there is no excuse for one of the officers not having a uniform on. Might be an entire plainclothes unit but someone has to have a uniform and someone is going to hav to show id. Gotta happen.