Mike German, an ex-FBI agent, said immigration agents hiding their identities ‘highlights the illegitimacy of actions’

Some wear balaclavas. Some wear neck gators, sunglasses and hats. Some wear masks and casual clothes.

Across the country, armed federal immigration officers have increasingly hidden their identities while carrying out immigration raids, arresting protesters and roughing up prominent Democratic critics.

It’s a trend that has sparked alarm among civil rights and law enforcement experts alike.

Mike German, a former FBI agent, said officers’ widespread use of masks was unprecedented in US law enforcement and a sign of a rapidly eroding democracy. “Masking symbolizes the drift of law enforcement away from democratic controls,” he said.

  • Taldan@lemmy.world
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    6 hours ago

    You can but ICE “plaques” of 5", approximately the right size, here: https://americanplaquecompany.com/product/dhs-ice-badge-plaque/

    I wouldn’t be able to tell that from a legitimate badge

    So many of the videos I’ve seen are of supposed officers forcibly kidnapping people without giving a badge number or warrant (some claim there are no badge numbers for ICE, but likely that was a fake officer. They certainly aren’t letting people look up a contact number for DHS

    Also feels like the administration is waiting for someone to resost so Trump can label them a terrorist and make an example out of them, despite it being perfectly legal self-defense