PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two state legislators are introducing a bill that would prohibit law enforcement officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, from wearing masks or face coverings and hiding their identities during a detention or arrest.
State Sen. Amanda Capelletti said she helped draft legislation after ICE agents raided a supermarket in her district, wearing masks and carrying guns, and took away 14 people without warrants.
“The reality that we find ourselves in was once unimaginable and is now wholly unacceptable,” Capelletti said during a press conference Thursday outside of the ICE Philadelphia headquarters.
The proposal dubbed “no secret police” was co-written with State Rep. Nikil Saval.
“It increases transparency and accountability,” Saval said.
A hallmark of the video recordings of recent ICE arrests is that the agents wear masks, plain clothes, drive unmarked cars, and often fail to respond to requests to identify themselves. Saval sees potential danger.
“It protects the rights of all Pennsylvanians to dignity, safety, and due process, and it affirms the importance of trust in law enforcement at every level.”
The sponsors noted that ICE wearing masks makes it easier for criminals to impersonate law enforcement. District Attorney Larry Krasner said there have been two cases this year of people pretending to be ICE agents in committing a crime.
“This is a terrible idea to create confusion between law enforcement and criminals,” he explained.
Saval said no federal law prohibits mask-wearing by law enforcement, so the issue falls to states. His bill, to be co-introduced with Senator Amanda Capelletti, will prohibit any facial covering and require visible ID. His fellow state Rep., Joe Hohenstein, thinks ICE should support the idea.
“If they’re so proud of what they’re doing, they should let the world see who and what they actually are,” Hohenstein said.
He said anyone concerned with public safety should be in favor of the bill.