A new bill proposed in Massachusetts aims to ban Immigration and Customs enforcement from wearing masks while on the job.
State Rep. Jim Hawkins, a Democrat, introduced a bill that bars any law enforcement officers from wearing "any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties," WBZ News reported.
Law enforcement officers would also be required to have their names and badge numbers on their uniforms. Medical masks and SWAT teams would be exempted.
"For a police officer to detain somebody they have not just their face visible, but they have a badge number visible, probably their name visible and they have a warrant signed by a judge. The ICE officers have none of that," Hawkins told WBZ.
ICE acting director Todd Lyons previously defended agents wearing masks during a press conference in Boston last month.
"People are out there taking photos of their names, of their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves," Lyons said. "So, I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there, put their lives and put their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is."
An ICE spokesperson previously told CBS News that ICE agents and their families are facing a 500% increase in assaults.
The "No Masks for ICE Act" was recently proposed in Congress by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.
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