‘Army’ of Masquerades: What ICE Claims to Hide Immigration Agents’ Faces and Why It’s Dangerous

Journalist reports flash hiring by ICE Operations conducted by the United States Immigration Service (ICE) have been the subject of controversy in recent weeks, following two deaths of American citizens and episodes of violence against protesters who oppose the actions. But another factor has also drawn attention: the masks worn by agents. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp ▶️ Context: ICE agents are being employed by Donald Trump’s government to search for undocumented immigrants and detain them. The targets, in general, are the so-called “sanctuary cities”, which concentrate large numbers of foreigners. According to the government, ICE does not need court warrants to arrest immigrants living illegally in the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that agents are authorized to detain anyone suspected of being undocumented. The agency also says that all foreigners who violate US immigration law are subject to arrest, even without a criminal record. According to the American government, ICE agents are also authorized to wear masks to avoid being recognized by civilians and having personal data exposed. The argument is that the servers’ families could be put at risk. “All ICE agents carry badges and credentials and identify themselves when necessary for public safety or legal requirements,” explains the government. In practice, however, there are reports of little transparency in the work of immigration agents. An article published by the organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), in December, points out that the lack of identification opens the door to abuse. The organization claims to have interviewed 18 people who have been arrested or witnessed arrests made by ICE since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. “They all described the incidents as frightening, with a feeling of helplessness in the face of possible abuse, especially since they were unidentifiable agents,” says the report. According to Belkis Wille, director of HRW’s Crisis and Conflict Division, agents need to be identifiable so that they can be held accountable in cases of illegal conduct during operations. “This type of secrecy should be the exception, never the rule. And it is even more alarming considering the widespread abuses associated with immigration arrests in recent months,” he says. HRW also counters DHS’s argument that wearing masks prevents exposure of agents’ personal information. According to the organization, the practice is incompatible with the US government’s human rights obligations and should only be adopted in exceptional situations. Also according to HRW, the anonymity of agents encourages impunity. HRW says that, in some cases, ICE agents have detained immigrants wearing civilian clothes and unmarked vehicles. There are reports of employees who hid agency insignia to approach people in places such as courts, schools and homes. READ ALSO Musicians perform rock performance as protest in front of ICE agents’ hotel: ‘They won’t sleep’; VIDEO Husband is convicted of killing his wife and another man with the help of a Brazilian nanny in the USA In the face of threats from the USA, Iran is willing to end its nuclear program, says newspaper Opposition wants changes Federal agent wears a mask during ICE operations in Minneapolis, on January 21, 2026 REUTERS/Seth Herald The Trump administration has made a big effort to hire new agents for ICE. The objective is to fulfill the promise of deporting 1 million irregular immigrants per year. To this end, the federal administration has promised cash bonuses and discounts on student debt. The measures have had an effect. The number of ICE agents grew rapidly, from 10,000 to 22,000 in just one year. Data from the agency itself indicates that more than 220,000 people applied for vacancies in the immigration service. 👉 The speed of hiring, however, raised questions about the criteria adopted and the reduction in agent training time. Recent episodes of violence have also led opposition parliamentarians to push for change. At the end of January, Democratic senators called for a reform of ICE’s operating rules in exchange for an agreement to approve the government’s budget. Among the demands is the end of the use of face masks by agents. The opposition also advocates that agents start wearing body cameras and follow the same rules on use of force applied to local police. “What ICE is doing is state-sanctioned brutality. It needs to stop,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. On Monday (2), one of the demands was partially met. United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the government has begun distributing body cameras to ICE agents on duty in Minneapolis. The city was the scene of two deaths of American citizens during ICE operations in January. The cases generated national commotion and a wave of protests. According to Noem, the program will be expanded to other regions of the country as resources become available. The government, for now, has not signaled that it intends to ban the use of face masks. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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