SOUTH OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – Lawmakers across the US introduced bills that would ban federal agents from using masks. Reporter Greta Goede talked with lawmakers and experts about why federal agents covering their faces.
- Lawmakers across the US introduce bill to ban federal agents from wearing masks.
- Rep. Don Bacon says agents should be allowed to wear masks for their safety.
- Policing expert says wearing a mask can do more harm than good.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It’s been a month since a federal immigration raid in Omaha—one of many across the country recently—caught attention due to federal agents wearing masks. This practice has led California lawmakers to propose a bill preventing federal agents from covering their faces.
Lawmakers nationwide are introducing bills to require law enforcement agencies to show their faces, saying it would boost public trust and transparency. Justin Nix, a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said masks can escalate interactions because the person being arrested might not recognize the agents as ICE or federal authorities.
"The person being arrested doesn’t necessarily know right away that the person doing this is ICE or the federal government, which increases their fear and can change how they behave during an interaction," Nix said. He says agents may feel masks protect themselves and their families but argues it is not justified. "The optics of it are not good, scary even, and I think it does more harm than good."
Saul Lopez, a South O community member, agrees. He understands federal agents want to protect themselves but said it creates fear for his neighbors. "I hope federal agencies understand we have men and women going to work every day who are afraid they’re going to be taken down by a group of people they can't identify," he said.
KMTV pulled video from archives of federal raids in 2018, where agents weren’t seen wearing masks. Rep. Don Bacon said he noticed the change in the last three or four months since there is an increased safety risk for agencies like ICE.
"ICE agents get ambushed by terrorists who try to kill them. For the protection of their families and themselves, they should be able to wear a mask and conceal their identity," Bacon said.
KMTV asked Nix why federal agents can wear masks, but local agencies don't. He told me there would likely be an uproar if neighborhood cops, like OPD, wore masks, but since federal agencies aren’t in communities as often, there’s less attention.
Nix also mentioned that the rise of social media and viral videos might contribute to agents wearing masks more frequently.
