Border Czar Tom Homan said Thursday he would not support Democrats’ demand for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to remove masks while on the job as part of negotiations to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
Homan, who is also overseeing the deployment of ICE, forcefully pushed back on the policy, claiming congressional Democrats, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are making ICE officers more unsafe by wanting them to remain maskless.
“You want us to take off the mask? Well, you know what, no, we’re not. That’s one of the things the Hill keeps pushing for in negotiations,” Homan told WABC’s Cats & Cosby.
Democrats have been locked in a battle with Senate Republicans and the White House over DHS funding for more than 40 days. Before agreeing to reopen the department, Democrats want more regulations for immigration enforcement, such as prohibiting masks and requiring judicial warrants.
But Homan and Republicans argue that allowing ICE officers to mask up is necessary so they can protect themselves while aggressively carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
“They do it out of choice because of threats, because of doxing of them and their families. So you know what, stop your hateful rhetoric and maybe if threats go down and decrease, we’ll think about it,” Homan told Cats & Cosby.
Homan said Thursday that death threats against ICE officers had increased 8,000 percent, while actual threats increased 1,400 percent. DHS said in a press release earlier this month that assaults on officers had increased 1,300 percent.
The border czar blamed Democrats’ rhetoric, comparing ICE officers to Nazis or the “secret police,” for leading to an increase in threats and assaults.
Federal immigration officers began wearing face coverings, hats and sunglasses last year while on duty after anti-ICE activists began doxing them online – or sharing private information about a person publicly.
But Democrats say allowing ICE officers to remain anonymous removes accountability from law enforcement – potentially making confrontations more deadly. They said it also creates a heightened sense of fear among citizens who interact with them.
Homan admitted last month, to Face the Nation, “I don’t like the masks either” – but argued it was necessary for security purposes.
Yet, after requesting ICE officers deploy to dozens of airports around the country to assist in long security wait times, Trump asked ICE officers to leave their face coverings at home.
“I am a BIG proponent of ICE wearing masks as they search for, and are forced to deal with, hardened criminals,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country.”
At least 10 states have enacted legislation seeking to prohibit immigration enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty. In response to New Jersey passing a law this week, a spokesperson for DHS told the Associated Press it would not abide by the “unconstitutional,” “reckless,” “irresponsible,” and “dangerous” law.
