Why ICE Agents Mask Themselves

18 Nov 2025 • 50 min • EN
50 min
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50:30
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As the Trump administration’s deportation campaign has ramped up, so too have the number of federal officers and agents wearing masks. That’s according to Atlantic staff writer Nick Miroff, who says that face coverings have become “a standard accessory for federal immigration enforcement, and a symbol of the mass-deportation campaign that is Trump’s top domestic-policy initiative.” In a rebuke, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law banning the use of masks by federal agents in the state, but questions about its enforceability remain as the administration challenges the law with a new suit filed Monday. We talk to Miroff about what masking means for public trust in law enforcement. His new piece is called “Why They Mask.” Guests: Nick Miroff, staff writer covering immigration, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S.-Mexico border, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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