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Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told CBS News he's
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personally not in favor of ICE agents wearing masks during arrest operations. However, despite
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his personal view, he's decided to allow the agents to keep wearing masks because of safety
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concerns for the officers. However, if that's a tool that the men and women advise to keep
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themselves and their families safe, then I'll allow it. Those critical of ICE agents wearing
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masks say they worry about imposters posing as federal agents. Lyons was asked about the possible
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scenario and he responded with, that's one of our biggest concerns. And I've said it publicly before
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I'm not a proponent of the masks. I do kind of push back on the criticism that they don't
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identify themselves, he said. The Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this week that
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attacks on ICE officers have increased 830 percent compared to the same time last year
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Lyons also confirmed that ICE intends to utilize personal data, including names, addresses and other identifying details from government programs such as Medicaid to assist in locating individuals suspected of residing in the U.S. without legal authorization
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He stated that while the administration is prioritizing apprehending individuals with criminal records, anyone found to be residing in the United States without legal status will also be taken into custody
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For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. If you want more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com
