Michigan Democrats are aiming to prosecute Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents for wearing masks—yes, the same party that imposed $500 fines on citizens for not wearing masks during the COVID era. After years of enforcing strict pandemic mandates, including mask requirements backed by hefty penalties, state Democrats have shifted gears, targeting federal immigration officers for concealing their identities while enforcing the law.
State House Democrats, sponsored by Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), introduced a proposed bill earlier this month that would result in law enforcement officers who attempt to conceal their faces or identities while on the job in Michigan facing jail time. Coffia claimed that ICE agents wearing masks "mirror the tactics of secret police in authoritarian regimes and stray from the norms that define legitimate local law enforcement."
"It confuses and frightens communities. Those who protect and serve our community should not do so behind a concealed identity," she said, announcing with a banner behind her that boldly proclaimed, “Justice doesn’t need a mask."
While state Democrats argue that these so-called “secret police” tactics sow fear, reduce accountability, and endanger the public and other law enforcement, the Trump administration has maintained that allowing ICE agents to wear masks is essential for their safety—protecting officers and their families from harassment, doxxing, and threats once their identities are exposed online or in public.
"For the average person, these incidents look like violent kidnappings,” Coffia added. “With this new federal tactic of wearing masks with no identification, there is no way for the public, the people being accosted or grabbed or even local law enforcement and local, state elected leaders to know who these folks are.”
Co-sponsor of the bill, Michigan Rep. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield) claimed that the Trump administration and the Republican Party are the "most pro-crime administration and political party that we have ever seen."
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) issued an executive order that mandated people "wear a face covering whenever they are in an indoor public space." The order also mandated face coverings in crowded outdoor areas and requires businesses to deny entry or service to anyone not wearing a mask, stating: "No shirt, no shoes, no mask—no service." Violators were subject to up to $500 penalties.
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