Tell us: How do you feel about ICE agents covering their faces?

A Massachusetts lawmaker has proposed banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks.

Masked law enforcement officials milled about in a parking lot near the Menemsha Coast Guard Station on Martha’s Vineyard in the aftermath of an immigration raid there in late May.

By Annie Jonas

July 8, 2025 | 11:37 AM

3 minutes to read

A Massachusetts lawmaker has proposed banning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from disguising their faces.

State Rep. James Hawkins, a Democrat representing Attleboro, filed the bill (HD.4886) on Monday to prevent local, state, or federal law enforcement officers in the commonwealth from wearing “any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties.” In addition, they would also be required to display their “name or badge number on their uniforms.”

However, there would be an exception for medical grade masks and for SWAT teams. Violating the law would be a misdemeanor, according to the bill.

The proposed legislation comes in response to a wave of criticism over immigration enforcement raids conducted by plainclothes ICE officers, as part of President Donald Trump‘s immigration crackdown.

Specifically, the March arrest of Rumeysa Ozturk in Somerville has become a flashpoint for local and national conversations around ICE agents wearing masks during immigration raids.

Ozturk’s arrest, captured on video, showed masked, plainclothes ICE officers near her home in Somerville on March 26.

“We’re the police,” one of the agents said in the video as they handcuffed her.

“You don’t look like it,” a bystander said offscreen. “Why are you hiding your faces?”

Boston city officials have chafed against the presence of federal immigration authorities and their use of masks during arrests in recent weeks.

In June, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, the top federal prosecutor for the state, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were engaged in a public sparring match over the use of face coverings by ICE agents.

“People are terrified for their lives and for their neighbors,” Wu said during a talk at the WBUR Festival. “Folks [are] getting snatched off the street by secret police who are wearing masks, who can offer no justification for why certain people are being taken and then detained.”

Foley rebutted, saying ICE agents are masking their faces because “people like Mayor Wu have created false narratives about their mission. Federal agents and their children are being threatened, doxxed, and assaulted. That is why they must hide their faces.” Doxxing refers to publicizing someone’s personal information, such as addresses, names, and phone numbers.

Have ICE agents faced assaults?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed via X that agents faced a 300% increase in assaults in April and a 413% increase in May. In a June press release, the DHS shared that the rise in assaults on ICE agents had reached 500%, attributing the data to a Breitbart News exclusive.

An annual report from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics shows assaults against ICE agents have risen in recent years, though at a moderate rate. In 2022, there were 15 subjects who assaulted ICE agents, according to a DHS “Use of Force Incidents” report. The next year, there were 22 assaults against ICE officers — a 47% increase. The agency has not released an incident report for 2024.

Do ICE agents have a uniform?

ICE agents are not required to wear a uniform, Jen Bade, a Brookline immigration attorney, told the Boston Globe.

When arresting someone, an ICE agent is supposed to identify themselves as an immigration officer who is authorized to execute an arrest, according to federal regulations. They must also state that the person is under arrest and give the reason for the arrest.

In some cases, however, ICE agents will initially tell people they are simply “police,” without specifying that they are ICE, Bade said.

Concern over how federal immigration officials conduct arrests and work with local authorities has continued to ramp up in Boston in recent weeks.

In mid-June, Wu formally signed an executive order seeking more transparency from ICE on who federal authorities are detaining and on what grounds. At a related press conference, she repeated prior criticisms that ICE was acting like “secret police” and reiterated concerns about masked federal immigration officials.

“In Boston, our officers wear badges, they do not routinely wear masks. We are clear about the reasons for potential arrests or interactions,” she said. “We expect the same standards from law enforcement operating in the city, no matter what agency they are from.”

As the debate over federal immigration officials concealing their identities continues, we want to know how you feel.

Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.