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DHS defends ICE officers wearing masks, cites doxxing and threats to families
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Summary
Tricia McLaughlin said ICE officers wear masks for officer safety and to prevent doxxing and threats against family members; she also said officers clearly identify themselves on operations with verbal announcements, vests and vehicles.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, defended the use of masks by ICE enforcement officers, saying the practice is intended to protect officers and their families from doxxing and threats.
McLaughlin said officers face online exposure of family information and threats to spouses and children and that knowing the identity of an officer can give criminal organizations “key intelligence.” She said that during operations officers also verbally present themselves and wear vests labeled DHS, ICE or ERO and are flanked by official vehicles.
“When we talk about the worst of the worst ... if they know the identity of our ICE enforcement officers, this is like key intelligence to them,” McLaughlin said, explaining the department’s rationale. She said critics who claim officers fail to identify themselves are mistaken and described multiple identification methods used during operations.
These remarks were presented as operational justification from DHS; the briefing did not include department policy documents, internal safety assessments, or specific incidents underlying the asserted rise in doxxing or threats.
