Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles
A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders is calling for a statewide ban on masked law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, in response to escalating concerns over the anonymity of personnel involved in enforcement operations across Los Angeles County.
Since early June, Los Angeles has seen the arrival of approximately 4,000 members of the California National Guard, 700 active-duty U.S. Marines, and an undisclosed number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. While local and state officials have acknowledged the role of these federal officers, criticism has intensified over their frequent use of masks during enforcement actions.
Footage circulating on social media shows individuals alleged to be federal agents exiting unmarked vehicles, often in plain clothes and without immediate identification. Some of these encounters have fueled fears of impersonation, with reports surfacing of kidnappings and other criminal acts committed by people claiming to be ICE officers.
At a Friday evening briefing, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reportedly voiced concern about ongoing immigration operations being carried out by masked individuals in the city. The Los Angeles Times also reported that the issue dominated discussions at a recent Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the board’s only Republican member, recounted an incident in which a staffer’s godson was pulled over by two men in an unmarked vehicle outfitted with flashing lights. One of the men allegedly commented that the driver had “a nice truck for someone with his surname.”
Supervisor Holly Mitchell questioned the use of half-face ski masks by agents operating in summer conditions. She expressed support for a bill currently under consideration in Sacramento prohibiting all law enforcement officers—local, state, and federal—from wearing masks during non-undercover operations.
The latest flashpoint occurred Saturday in Santa Ana, where up to seven masked individuals were seen during a forceful arrest of a man whose three sons are active-duty members of the U.S. military. The masked men who refused to identify themselves tried to grab the man, who was likely terrified, and who ran in fear. The agents then allegedly caught the man and punched him repeatedly.
