Armed federal immigration officers in the United States have increasingly concealed their identities during raids and protests, sparking alarm among civil rights experts. Some wear balaclavas, neck gaiters, sunglasses, or casual clothes, making it difficult for the public to identify them.
Mike German, a former FBI agent now at the Brennan Center for Justice, called the trend unprecedented in US law enforcement. 'Masking symbolizes the drift of law enforcement away from democratic controls,' he said. 'When it's hard to tell who a masked individual is working for, it's hard to accept that that is a legitimate use of authority.'
The Department of Homeland Security claims masks protect officers' privacy due to increased violence against agents, but has provided no evidence. German argued the practice erodes trust and enables imposters to operate more easily.
He linked the masking to post-9/11 changes such as the Patriot Act and intelligence-led policing. 'Once police think of themselves as domestic intelligence agents rather than law enforcement sworn to protect the public, it creates this attitude that the public doesn't have a right to know what they're doing,' German said.
The creation of nearly 80 'fusion centres' – where state, local and federal agencies share information with limited oversight – has contributed to a 'thick cloak of secrecy', often targeting disfavoured protest groups. German warned this drift undermines democratic accountability.
