Mask-wearing by law enforcers seeking illegal immigrants raises issues of accountability and civil liberties, critics say. In response, federal officials cite a need to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and their families from possible harassment or worse as the Trump administration pushes mass deportations. The debate now includes proposals to ban face coverings during street sweeps, workplace raids and courthouse detentions.

Social media videos shows masked officers detaining people without immediately identifying themselves. Government leaders say masks help keep agents from having home addresses or contact information revealed online. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, cites a sharp boost in attacks and threats as a result of more aggressive immigration enforcement this year. "While I'm not a fan of the masks, . . . we need to protect our agents and officers," says acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.

Opponents, who include some Democrats in Congress, say the face cloths pulled up by ICE personnel with street clothes and unmarked vehicles is a bad look that resembles the "secret police" in foreign dictatorships. "Trump letting masked immigration agents in plain clothes abduct people from public spaces is straight out of an authoritarian playbook," says Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who introduced a bill that would stop ICE officers from masking and using unmarked vests or jackets. New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, says the practice creates "this climate of intimidation."

Democratic lawmakers in New York, Massachusetts and California propose legislation to bar law enforcers from covering their faces in most situations, and to require visible IDs during arrests. Politicians in Chicago, Albuquerque, N.M., and several Southern California areas are considering similar actions. Local law enforcers must wear badge numbers and display names – a policy aimed partly at keeping impersonators from staging fake traffic stops and arrests. The conflict over ICE secrecy could bring a constitutional showdown between the federal government and local or state officials over immigration enforcement and civil liberties.

U.S. official says: "States can't regulate what federal law enforcement wears." – Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general

Mayor says: "These masked men pull up in unmarked cars and jump out of the cars with rifles and detain people. For the average citizen, it looks like it's a violent kidnapping. You should never have that." – Karen Bass of Los Angeles

Senator says: "We must ensure federal agents have visible identification on display to bring back transparency, maintain public trust and start repairing America's broken immigration system." – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.