House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged to expose the identities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents involved in recent immigration raids, despite officials’ warnings that agents are being targeted with threats and harassment.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons explained in a press conference this week that agents have been wearing face masks during operations to protect themselves and their families. He cited a growing number of doxxing incidents and threats directed at ICE personnel, such as personal information and photos being posted online.
“People are out there taking photos of the names, their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves,” Lyons said.
But Jeffries dismissed the security concerns and criticized the agents’ use of masks, characterizing it as an attempt to avoid accountability. He called the ongoing immigration operations “aggressive overreach” and vowed to publicly identify the agents involved.
“Every single ICE agent who’s engaged in this aggressive overreach and are trying to hide their identities from the American people will be unsuccessful in doing that,” Jeffries said Tuesday. “This is America. This is not the Soviet Union. We’re not behind the Iron Curtain. This is not the 1930s. And every single one of them, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes, will, of course, be identified.”
Earlier this year, anti-ICE activists in Southern California posted names, photos, and addresses of agents online. Former acting ICE Director and current border czar Tom Homan condemned the actions and threatened legal action for endangering law enforcement personnel.
“Look, I think they crossed the line. They started posting pictures and addresses and phone numbers. I got state troopers around my house 24-7 right now because of death threats. And I know what it’s like to be doxxed, though. These agents don’t deserve that,” Homan told Fox News at the time. “These agents put a gun on their hip and wear a Kevlar vest every day, trying to make their communities safer. We’ve been really clear: we’re focusing on the worst of the worst. We’re focused on criminal threats and national security threats.”
