New York Governor Kathy Hochul took to social media to encourage people in the state to report Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who wear masks while carrying out their duties.
Masks help to protect agents from doxxing and violence by leftist activists who have been compiling databases of their identities, family homes, license plates, and more.
In her posts, Hochul promoted a reporting form run by the New York State Attorney General, directing people to submit information on agents allegedly violating the state’s new law against masked law enforcement.
The new law prohibits most law enforcement officials from wearing masks while carrying out their duties, and the Attorney General’s office can use the submitted information in official proceedings.
The law was part of a broader package of legislation signed by Hochul, which restricts ICE operations in locations such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship without a judicial warrant, limits local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and creates new ways for New Yorkers to sue federal officials for alleged constitutional violations.
Hochul defended the legislation by claiming that masked agents “use intimidation tactics” and that greater transparency is needed for public safety, but critics argue that the measures are an overreach of state authority.
ICE agents wear masks primarily for their own safety amid repeated campaigns of doxxing, stalking, and threats by Antifa-linked and anarchist activists, who have used AI facial recognition tools to identify officers, even when they are partially masked.
Activists have also published the names, photos, and home addresses of ICE officers online, compiling lists that put agents and their families at risk.
The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging the mask ban and related restrictions as unconstitutional interference with federal law enforcement authority.
New York has responded with its own lawsuit to defend the law, but some argue that Hochul should be condemning the extremists who dox and threaten these brave men and women instead of enabling them.
