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WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

Should Federal Agents Wear Masks During Immigration Raids?

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

Society & Culture, News

42.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Border czar Tom Homan and acting ICE director Todd Lyons say that masked immigration agents are merely trying to protect their identities from online “doxxing” efforts targeting them and their families. On the other hand, critics worry that routine masking of police will erode accountability and public confidence, as Democrats push for legislation to prohibit the practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:10.6

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0:17.7

From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

0:23.8

The Trump administration defends its policy of letting federal agents wear masks during immigration raids.

0:31.3

As Democrats in Congress and state capitals push for laws to restrict or even ban mask wearing by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or ICE and other agencies.

0:42.8

Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal.

0:45.8

We're joined today by my colleagues, columnist Kim Strassel, and editorial board member, Manet Uquay Burua.

0:52.9

Masked agents have been a striking feature of many of the

0:56.3

photos and videos of President Trump's push to increase deportations. Democratic senators Alex Padilla

1:03.3

of California and Corey Booker of New Jersey have introduced legislation to ban mask wearing by

1:09.8

federal agents at these agencies.

1:12.3

Here is what Padilla is saying. When federal immigration agents show up and pull someone off

1:18.2

the street in plain clothes with their face obscured and no visible identification, it only

1:23.8

escalates tension and spreads fear while shielding federal agents from basic accountability,

1:30.6

unquote. This is a months-long debate now as President Trump's immigration push has ramped up.

1:37.4

Let's listen to acting ICE director Todd Lyons responding to some of these questions recently on CBS.

1:44.3

I'm not a proponent of the masks.

1:46.2

However, if that's a tool that the men and women advise to keep themselves and their

1:50.6

family safe, then I'll allow it.

1:54.0

I do kind of pushback on the criticism that they don't identify themselves.

1:58.1

If you see a lot of the photos, like we were out that day, like I would go back to our

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