Some politicians want to ban ICE officers from wearing masks

(JULY 28, 2025) Some Oregon and Washington politicians want to stop U.S. immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) officers from hiding their faces with masks. They say people should know who is arresting them.

On July 15, a woman took a video outside a school in Beaverton. It showed men wearing black vests with the word “police,” but their faces were covered. She said, “This is not OK. No one here will identify themselves to me.” One officer answered, “We are immigration, clearly.”

The man arrested was Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, 38. He was taking his child to school. This is the first time in Oregon that immigration officers arrested someone outside a school.

Before this year, ICE officers could not arrest people near schools, churches, or hospitals. But now the rule has changed.

Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon is working on a new law. It says ICE officers must show their faces and wear clear ID, like their name or badge number. They can only wear masks for health reasons or undercover work.

“Trump letting masked immigration agents in plain clothes abduct people from public spaces is straight out of an authoritarian playbook,” Wyden said.

Some people support the masks. They say it protects officers from gangs like MS-13 and from being attacked. A Homeland Security spokesperson said there have been more attacks on officers.

But Oregon State Representative Ricki Ruiz said regular police in Gresham do not wear masks. “They are going to show who they are,” he said. “I don’t think ICE should be any different.”

Ruiz also talked about a case in Minnesota. In June, a man pretended to be a police officer. He killed a lawmaker and her husband. Ruiz said officers must show who they are to keep people safe.

CAUTION: This video has graphic and disturbing content that shows ICE arresting a father outside of his child's school.