Use of masks by ICE agents criticized for lack of transparency

Democratic lawmakers and rights organizations have increased their criticism of the use of face masks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, saying the practice reduces the transparency of operations and makes accountability for abuses difficult. The United States government defends the use of clothing as a measure to protect the identity and personal safety of employees.

Employed by President Donald Trump’s administration to locate and detain undocumented immigrants, ICE agents operate primarily in cities classified as “sanctuary.” According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency is authorized to arrest people suspected of being in an irregular immigration status even without a judicial warrant, and all foreigners who violate US immigration legislation are subject to detention, regardless of criminal history.

The DHS states that agents can wear masks to avoid recognition by civilians and the exposure of personal data, which, according to the government, could put the employees and their families at risk. The agency also maintains that agents carry badges and credentials and identify themselves when required by law or for public security reasons.

Human rights organizations dispute this justification. In a report published in December, Human Rights Watch (HRW) states that the lack of visible identification leaves room for abuse. The entity interviewed 18 people who were arrested or witnessed arrests carried out by ICE since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. All reported episodes described as intimidating and indicated a feeling of helplessness in the face of masked agents or those without clear identification.

The director of HRW’s Crisis and Conflict Division, Belkis Wille, says that agents need to be identifiable so that they can be held accountable in cases of illegal conduct. According to the organization, the routine use of masks is incompatible with the United States’ international human rights obligations and should only occur in exceptional situations. HRW also states that anonymity favors impunity.

The report also cites cases in which ICE agents acted in plainclothes, used unmarked vehicles and concealed agency insignia when approaching immigrants in places such as courts, schools and homes.

The controversy occurs amid the accelerated expansion of ICE personnel. The Trump administration set a goal of deporting up to 1 million immigrants per year and began offering financial bonuses and incentives to attract new agents. In one year, the number of employees at the agency increased from around 10,000 to 22,000, according to official data, with more than 220,000 applications registered.

The speed of hiring raised questions about selection criteria and training time. Recent episodes of violence during ICE operations have led Democratic lawmakers to push for changes to the agency’s operating rules. At the end of January, opposition senators conditioned negotiations on the federal budget on the review of these standards, including the end of the use of face masks.

The opposition also defends the mandatory adoption of body cameras and the application of the same use of force rules followed by local police. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called ICE’s actions “state-sanctioned brutality.”

On Monday (2), the government announced the distribution of body cameras to ICE agents on duty in Minneapolis, a city where two deaths of American citizens during agency actions in January sparked protests. According to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, the program will be expanded to other regions as resources become available.

To date, the Trump administration has not indicated that it intends to ban the use of face masks by immigration agents.