ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan told Newsmax that ICE agents wear masks during enforcement events to potentially save their lives.

Sheahan told "American Agenda" on Tuesday: "These officers are only doing this to protect themselves and protect their families. They are enforcing immigration law as it's written in the United States."

She emphasized that ICE agents are simply working to keep America safe and following the nation's laws. "The very laws that have been on the books for many years now, and they're enforcing those laws as they're written."

But immigration enforcement is taking a turn toward violence, with protesters getting involved and interfering with agents. Sheahan said that's why many choose to wear a mask so their identity can't be used against them or their families. "And our officers are doing this to protect themselves and protect their families. We've seen harm come to them in multiple ways, at different raids, at different ops."

She said it is unimaginable that people would interfere with efforts to protect the country. "We've seen mass protests when they're out trying to do their jobs. And then the Democrats are just inciting that violence in a way like we've never seen before."

In a recent example, the Department of Homeland Security maintained that a California congressional representative shared identity information about an ICE agent, who was subsequently injured in an altercation with protesters. The lawmaker has denied the allegation.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons reportedly has indicated he'd like to see illegals detained throughout their legal processing. Sheahan said it makes a lot of sense. "ICE detention is not punitive. It's to get somebody through the immigration hearing proceedings and ultimately deported from the country and allow them to stop causing harm to the American people."

She added that we may never know the totality of illegal immigration allowed by the administration of former President Joe Biden. "With the Biden administration's open border policy, there's no way to know how many illegal aliens, especially criminal aliens, came into this country."

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