Why Do ICE Agents Wear Masks? Boss Defends Move Amid Surge in Doxxing and Death Threats

Agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are facing scrutiny after the public saw them wearing masks during their operations. Tired of criticisms, the agency's Acting Director Todd Lyons finally released a statement explaining why his men are wearing face covers.

ICE Boss Defends Mask Tactic

Various images and videos show ICE agents wearing fatigue masks and shades. Many people are enraged for hiding their identities; with some Americans even calling them cowards. The scrutiny against ICE personnel intensified as the Trump Administration announced more mass deportations.

On Monday, 2 June 2025, Todd Lyons defended his agents, saying that he was surprised that Americans are more upset about ICE agents wearing masks than how they are actually forced to protect their identities from death threats just for doing their jobs.

Lyons explained that they are forced to wear masks after being branded 'terrorists' and being doxed. For those who are unfamiliar with this practice, doxxing happens when a lot of people publish somebody else's personal details online in order to intimidate or frighten their target. It is considered an online attack, as reported by Newsweek.

'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' explained Todd via ABC News.

ICE Agents Criticised

Aside from social media users, some US officials are also criticising ICE agents for being heavily masked and covered when arresting immigrants. Recently, San Diego Councilman Seal Elo-Rivera called the agency's personnel terrorists after raiding an Italian restaurant in California.

Elo-Rivera shared how ICE agents are targeting parents who are just dropping their kids at school; asylum seekers who are following the law; and immigrant workers at local restaurants. Because of this, Seal described the ICE operations as 'state-sponsored terrorism.'

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was also 'deeply upset' with what happened at the popular Italian restaurant since it was a very chaotic operation, with smoking filling the air as heavily geared agents faced an angry crowd.

Another US official who scrutinised the ICE was New York Congressman Dan Goldman after witnessing the federal immigration agents arresting some asylum seekers at a routine court in NYC. Unlike others, he confronted the ICE agents in the building's lobby.

'There were about a dozen plainclothes ICE agents, many who had masks ready to put on, waiting for immigrants coming out of their regularly-scheduled court appearances,' explained Goldman.

During the confrontation, Goldman told the present ICE agents that the immigrants they were arresting were people who were properly seeking legal status.

'None of these people are criminals, none of them are murderers or child rapists. None of that,' he added.

The criticisms against the ICE are expected to continue as the US government continue their deportation operations to curb the number of immigrants in the country.