Mike German, an ex-FBI agent, said immigration agents hiding their identities ‘highlights the illegitimacy of actions’
Some wear balaclavas. Some wear neck gators, sunglasses and hats. Some wear masks and casual clothes.
Across the country, armed federal immigration officers have increasingly hidden their identities while carrying out immigration raids, arresting protesters and roughing up prominent Democratic critics.
It’s a trend that has sparked alarm among civil rights and law enforcement experts alike.
Mike German, a former FBI agent, said officers’ widespread use of masks was unprecedented in US law enforcement and a sign of a rapidly eroding democracy. “Masking symbolizes the drift of law enforcement away from democratic controls,” he said.
US law says if you see someone being assaulted, and the perp is not identified as law enforcement, you can kill the attacker in defense of the person being assaulted.
Of course the same goes for self defense.
If someone is assaulting you and not identifing as law enforcement you can kill them in self defense.
What is the legal qualification for “identifying as law enforcement”? Can I don a mask and tacti-cool gear and shout “ICE federal agent” as I attack someone?
Genuine question, because that’s what’s happening
I would say showing a badge, and them waiting patiently while you can call in to confirm their legitimacy with their org.
The precedent tho is that anyone who identifies as law enforcement is supposed to be believed.
People are impersonating ICE all the time these days, its reasonable to not believe someone is an ICE agent based on word alone. If a person killed an ICE agent assuming he was an imposter then a judge might not throw the book at them, considering our current climate.
You can but ICE “plaques” of 5", approximately the right size, here: https://americanplaquecompany.com/product/dhs-ice-badge-plaque/
I wouldn’t be able to tell that from a legitimate badge
So many of the videos I’ve seen are of supposed officers forcibly kidnapping people without giving a badge number or warrant (some claim there are no badge numbers for ICE, but likely that was a fake officer. They certainly aren’t letting people look up a contact number for DHS
Also feels like the administration is waiting for someone to resost so Trump can label them a terrorist and make an example out of them, despite it being perfectly legal self-defense
As much as I like the way you think, I don’t think that would fly in an American court of law. You don’t need to see their face to know their a cop / law enforcement. They’re wearing a uniform.
A lot of ICE agents aren’t wearing a uniform. The domestic terrorist in Minnesota was wearing more of a uniform than 90% of ICE agents
A lot of them are plain cloths
Some brave patriot needs to test it and demand a jury trial