Despite their proclivity for wearing masks, the Department of Homeland Security denies that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents refuse to identify themselves in the field. “I’ve been on a number of these operations,” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said last month. “They are wearing vests that say ICE or ERO, which is the enforcement arm of ICE or Homeland Security Investigations. They clearly verbally identify themselves.”
But video from a confrontation in a New York state town contradicts his claims.
In the footage, Juan Fonseca Tapia, the co-founder and organizer of the Connecticut-based immigrant advocacy group Greater Danbury Unites for Immigrants, questions a man dressed as a construction worker.
“What agency are you with?” asks Fonseca Tapia, filming through his car window.
“I’m not going to tell you,” responds the man, who is wearing a high-visibility construction vest, an orange helmet, and glasses, with a camouflage mask covering most of his face. “It’s none of your business.”
“ICE New York City officers were conducting surveillance in Brewster, New York, August 2, when anti-ICE agitators followed them and attempted to disrupt their operation,” an ICE spokesperson told The Intercept by email.
In the video — which was posted last weekend on social media by Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants — the ICE agent said only that he is a member of “federal law enforcement.” Neither “ICE” nor “ERO” is visible on his vest in the footage.
That puts the lie to McLaughlin’s claims that ICE agents identify themselves.
“I find it outrageous. It’s indefensible. This is where we are crossing a dangerous line on immigration enforcement into these paramilitary type tactics with a secret police force,” said New York state Sen. Patricia Fahy who last month introduced the Mandating End of Lawless Tactics, or MELT, Act, which would ban the use of face coverings and plain cloths by ICE and other federal enforcement agents during civilian immigration actions conducted in New York. “The first three words of the provision that we’re adding into law are ‘Masks and disguises prohibited,’ period. And this video is Exhibit A. This is exactly what we are alarmed about.”
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