Pressure grows to unmask ICE

Source: Salon

Published July 19, 2025 6:30AM (EDT)


The push to unmask ICE agents is catching fire, as backlash grows to President Donald Trump’s policy of mass deportation.

“It comes across as kidnappings. At some point, where do we end up with vigilantes? Or where does this lead to a vigilante-type system with immigration or vigilante posses, or at what point do they end up hiring mercenary-type paramilitary? We’ve talked for years about making sure police are that there’s full transparency,” New York state Sen. Patricia Fahy told Salon. “They’re not even identifying themselves or producing the appropriate warrants that are mandated.”

Fahy is sponsoring the MELT Act, a bill that would require ICE agents operating in New York to unmask and identify themselves. She said the bill is about holding ICE to the same standards as other law enforcement.

Fahy explained that allowing ICE to continue to operate as it has been also allows criminals to exploit people’s fear of ICE. “We are seeing incidents, some pretty horrific ones of impersonating officers,” he said, “and we’ve already had issues with paramilitary organizations in some areas and vigilantism, and I worry that it is going to fuel that.”

Read more: https://www.salon.com/2025/07/19/it-comes-across-as-kidnapping-pressure-grows-to-unmask-ice/