Democratic Senator Bucks Party Line on Masked ICE Agents

Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, on Sunday supported Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents being allowed to wear masks that help conceal their identities.

“Some of those agents wearing masks, primarily that’s driven by people who are going to dox those people. That’s a serious concern too, absolutely. They can target their families,” the senator said while appearing on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing. “Don’t ever, ever dox people and target their families too.”

Tensions between protestors and federal agents with ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been mounting in recent weeks, particularly after two Americans—Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti—were fatally shot by agents during protests in Minneapolis last month. This past week, President Donald Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in part to calm the situation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, on Wednesday proposed a series of reforms to ICE and CBP that included body camera requirements and a ban on agents wearing masks, among other topics.

On Friday, the U.S. Senate voted to keep most of the federal government funded through the end of September after Trump struck a deal with Democrats to temporarily separate Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding and allow debate over new limits on federal immigration raids.

Schumer and other Democratic lawmakers have laid out demands to reform immigration enforcement practices at the DHS. They include an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents, mandatory identification during arrests, and expanded use of body cameras.

"We want masks off, body cameras on," Schumer said last week.

In the House, two New York Democrats—Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat—are leading a proposed “No Secret Police Act” bill that would ban ICE and other DHS officers from concealing their faces during immigration enforcement and require them to clearly display agency identification.

Last week, Fetterman said in a statement that he rejects "calls to defund or abolish ICE," adding "I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change."

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said previously in a statement to Newsweek: "Our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. Now, thanks to the malicious rhetoric of sanctuary politicians, they are under constant threat from violent agitators. They are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks against them, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk.”

Representative Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, said in a statement in September: “As Donald Trump continues to send masked, unaccountable ICE agents into our city, I’m proud that the Democratic caucus is united in support for this critical legislation that would put an end to the Trump administration’s use of masked agents to terrorize immigrant communities. While Republicans bend the knee to this administration as it establishes a militarized ICE police force, Democrats are standing firm in opposition to these authoritarian tactics.” 

Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, said in an interview with CBS News in July: “I'm not a proponent of the masks. However, if that's a tool that the men and women of ICE to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it.”

President Donald Trump said at a White House event in July: "It's sort of funny, when people picket in front of Columbia, in front of Harvard and they have masks on...Nobody complains about that. But when a patriot who works for ICE or border patrol puts a mask on so they won't recognize him or his family, so they can lead a little bit of a normal life after they worked so hard and so dangerously, there is as problem with that."

Until the House passes the Senate package and Trump signs it, the DHS remains in a partial shutdown along with some other agencies. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, blaming Democrats’ ICE demands, said there won’t be a full floor vote on the funding package until at least Tuesday.

Update 2/1/26 6:18 pm ET: This article's headline has been updated

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