The administration's reliance on raids often carried out by agents in plainclothes, operating from unmarked vehicles and without visible warrants, blurred the line between legitimate and fraudulent immigration enforcement. Critics, including members of the United States Congress, argued that ICE's use of masks, plain clothes, and unmarked vehicles without visible identification made it difficult to distinguish between real and fake immigration agents, "inviting perpetrators ... to take advantage of the chaos by impersonating masked ICE agents in order to target and sexually assault women."[3] Reported impersonators in several states have threatened deportation while committing robberies, kidnappings, and sexual assaults against women in immigrant communities.[3] Documented incidents occurred in multiple states, including California, Florida, Maryland, New York City, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C., with perpetrators attempting crimes in person as well as through telephone, text, and online scams.
The Attorney General of California, Rob Bonta, described such impersonations as "bad actors capitalizing on fear",[4] while advocacy groups linked the phenomenon to ICE's own controversial operational practices and have noted that it results in broader hostility toward right-wing politics in the United States.[1] National and local media connected impersonator attacks to violent incidents such as the 2025 shootings of Minnesota legislators.[1] Women's organizations argued that ICE's concealment of officer identities exacerbated risks of sexual abuse.[3]
In response, members of the United States Congress introduced legislation such as the proposed "No Masks for ICE Act", which would prohibit agents from covering their faces during enforcement actions and require visible display of names and agency affiliation.[5] Although impersonating a federal officer is already a crime, the persistence and geographic spread of ICE imposters has drawn scrutiny from civil rights advocates, immigrant groups, and state officials, who describe the issue as a chronic public-safety crisis. Both local and state governments across the United States began to challenge Trump-supported anonymity of government agents in response, raising questions of states' rights against Federal law enforcement in the United States.[6][7][8][9]
According to New York Magazine, President Trump deployed the National Guard and the United States Marine Corps to support federal immigration raids, with military forces "running interference" for ICE operations.[2] In May 2025, Reuters reported that the administration set a daily quota of about 3,000 immigration arrests, a sharp increase from earlier levels.[12][2]
KTLA reported that dozens of members of the United States Congress signed a letter to the United States Department of Homeland Security expressing concern about ICE officers' tactics and about impersonators targeting women.[3] The proposed "No Masks for ICE Act", introduced in July 2025, sought to prohibit federal immigration agents from covering their faces and to require visible identification, reflecting the absence of such statutory requirements at the time.[5]
Chronic ICE impersonators
The American Prospect described the volume and frequency of ICE impersonations to commit unlawful actions as "chronic".[1]CNN reported arrests of impersonators in multiple U.S. states.[11]Rob Bonta, the Attorney General of California, confirmed reports of growing numbers of ICE impersonators and said that "bad actors" had begun to "capitalize on the fear" raised among minorities by the Trump administration.[13][4]PBS NewsHour listed kidnappings, robberies, fraud, and sexual assaults among the incidents linked to impersonators.[14]KTLA reported that ICE had been criticized for agents' failures to identify themselves in anti-immigration operations.[3] According to the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, the masking of ICE agents contributed to impersonations and increased exposure of women, especially immigrants, to risk of sexual assault.[3] Arick Fudali of The Bloom Firm told KTLA that the simplicity of ICE agents' actual uniforms, masks, and procedures made it easy for impersonators to exploit victims using the fear and intimidation associated with ICE encounters.[3]
Political associations
Impersonation of ICE agents to commit crimes and harass persons has been linked in news coverage to the 2025 shootings of Minnesota legislators, where a gunman masked as law enforcement murdered several Democratic Party elected officials, family members, and pets.[1]New York Magazine noted that Minnesota law enforcement compared the murders to ICE anonymity, quoting Minnesota Department of Public Safety commissioner Bob Jacobson as saying the assassin "had exploited the trust our uniforms are meant to represent."[2]The American Prospect also compared impersonations to attempted attacks on lawful protestors by a masked individual at a No Kings protests event.[1] The magazine further reported that impersonators and those attempting to assist ICE actions contributed to societal hostility toward right-wing politics and beliefs, including those advanced by the Republican Party.[1]New York Magazine asserted that ICE impersonators took advantage of the promotion of right-wing vigilante violence by the Trumpist movement and the administration.[2]
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2025, Jason Selvig of the political comedy group The Good Liars interviewed an attendee dressed in an "ICE" outfit with a Make America Great Again hat.[1] According to The American Prospect, the attendee said he celebrated being able to instill fear into Hispanic-American populations by wearing the outfit to "a Home Depot in a sanctuary city."[1]Ms. Magazine reported that right-wing extremists also wore ICE costumes in predominantly Latino workplaces and neighborhoods, including in San Francisco, California, to instill fear across immigrant communities.[15]
Anonymity of law enforcement
ICE's predominant use of masks to hide the identities of its agents was reported to have made it easier for impersonators to pose as ICE personnel.[1] The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services said it was difficult to determine the extent of historical under-reporting of interactions with law enforcement in the United States.[1] The Charleston Hispanic Association told CNN that harassment of Hispanic-Americans had become commonplace but was not often reported or recorded.[11] According to KNBC, California and other states began pursuing legislation to restrict the use of masks by law enforcement in response to the presence of both masked ICE agents and impersonators.[16]Los Angeles Times also reported that criminals posing as ICE attempted to commit crimes by "phone, text, email or on social media."[4]
Arick Fudali of The Bloom Firm told KTLA, "(To migrants), it doesn't sound out of the ordinary for someone like that to wield their power to exploit and sexually abuse someone. And what are (the women) going to do?"[3]Los Angeles Times noted that impersonating a federal officer is a crime.[4]Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, defended the ability of ICE agents to keep their identities secret, citing their safety over that of the public.[3]New York Magazine reported that ICE leadership said anonymity was necessary to protect agents from public oversight and repercussions.[2]California State SenatorScott Wiener compared the situation to "secret police".[17] At the Alabama Sheriffs Association's summer conference, an ICE official said agents were seen as "imperial thugs" due to their anonymity and argued that concealment was necessary for their safety, stating, "People get followed around. Now your kid cannot sit at the lunch table with other kids at school because of what I do for my job, which I think is very valuable."[18]
Incidents
The following incidents are listed in approximate chronological order based on publication dates of reliable sources.
Durham, North Carolina: a fake ICE truck was used to harass people at a grocery store in a predominantly Hispanic area.[19][20]
Raleigh, North Carolina: a man was arrested for impersonating an ICE agent and sexually assaulting a woman. The attack occurred at a local Motel 6.[21][11] Acting as an ICE agent, he threatened the woman with deportation if she did not have sex with him and presented fake credentials. He also claimed to be a sworn law enforcement officer and was in possession of cocaine and a pipe.[20] Siembra NC, an immigrant rights advocacy group, said the attack was part of a broader targeting of immigrants through such scams.[21] He was charged with "kidnapping, second-degree rape and impersonating a law enforcement officer."[15]
Brooklyn, New York: a woman was assaulted by a civilian disguised as an ICE agent.[22][3]
Nationwide: CNN reported multiple arrests of individuals impersonating ICE agents during a nationwide immigration crackdown.[11]
Newbury Park, California: an ICE impostor attempted to intimidate Hispanic people at a taqueria.[4]
Huntington Park, California: a man was arrested for allegedly "posing as a federal immigration officer." Police discovered the materials in his vehicle after impounding his car. When searched, Diaz had a "loaded gun and official-looking documents with Department of Homeland Security headings in his SUV" along with "multiple copies of passports not registered under the individual's name."[23] He was charged with "possession of the allegedly unregistered firearm" and released on bail.[23] Diaz denied the allegations.[23]
Sullivan's Island, South Carolina: a man allegedly impersonated ICE to "harass and mock a group of Latino men."[23][15] During the incident, which was recorded, the impostor used his vehicle to trap the men, took their car keys, and threatened to "deport" them.[1] The suspect was charged with kidnapping.[15] According to CNN, he reportedly stated, "Now don't be speaking that pig-Latin in my fucking country!"[11]
Los Angeles County: masked men impersonating ICE detained the godson of a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors staffer, telling him, "nice truck for someone with that surname."[17] The incident was confirmed by the Los Angeles Times.[17] The men were denied access to the vehicle and fled when a crowd began recording the attack.[17] Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a warning in a council meeting for the public to be aware of ICE impersonators.[17]
Indiantown, Florida: two men allegedly impersonated an ICE officer and targeted immigrants at a fake traffic stop, where they asked drivers for their "documents and immigration status." The men threatened Hispanic-Americans with deportation and were arrested on federal charges.[23][1]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: a man robbed others while impersonating an ICE official. The impostor tied up victims and stole $1,000 in cash.[1][15]
Milton, Delaware: the Delaware State Police reported that ICE impostors committed armed robbery. The impostors, wearing ICE clothing, detained a U.S. citizen at knife and gunpoint, then struck and robbed the victim.[24]
Washington, D.C.: the Government of the District of Columbia issued a warning to the public on ICE scams and impersonators.[25] In addition to physical impersonation, fraud occurred through telephone-based ICE impersonation scams, which attempted to extract money to defer deportations.[25]
Washington, D.C.: a woman was forced into a car and raped by a man disguised as an immigration officer, who threatened her with deportation. She was later told the man had falsely identified himself as a federal ICE agent and was charged with first- and second-degree rape, impersonation of a law enforcement officer, and a firearms offense, among other charges.[3][26]
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania: ICE impostors entered a private business, attempted to extract information about employees, wore ICE garb, and refused to provide warrants or proof of identity, according to the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department.[27]
Houston, Texas: a man was robbed by a fake ICE agent conducting an illegal traffic roadblock.[2]
Maryland: in July 2025 a man was accused of raping a Latina woman while posing as an ICE agent.[15]
New York City: a man allegedly pretended to be an ICE agent and was accused of attempting to rape an immigrant woman, along with stealing her "phone, purse and jewelry."[15]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: two men were accused of attempting to enter Temple University's dormitories while posing as ICE agents. One of the two was charged with impersonating an officer.[23]
Fife, Washington: police investigated a fake ICE patrol vehicle that targeted Emish Market, a Ukrainian grocery store. The vehicle bore an ICE logo and verbiage, with visible text of "DELIVERY" beneath it, no license plates, and the visible text of "1775" and "911". The vehicle immediately fled when confronted by store security.[28]
Governmental and legislative responses
Local
Following the arrest of a man impersonating ICE to commit crimes in Huntington Park, California, the city government required all city police to engage and force identification of any federal law enforcement seen to be operating within the city.[6]
Police in Spokane, Washington, under chief Kevin Hall, issued new policies for city police to verify detected federal law enforcement due to local threats of ICE impersonators.[7]
State
Sasha Renée Pérez in 2024. She later introduced the No Vigilantes Act.
Sasha Renée Pérez of the California State Senate introduced the "No Vigilantes Act".[9] SB 805, if passed, would mandate that any federal law enforcement acting in California provide "last name, badge or ID number" upon demand.[9] Pérez asked, "How am I supposed to be able to tell if this is actually federal law enforcement or if this is a vigilante who's impersonating an ICE officer?"[9] On the matter of doxing allegations of federal law enforcement, she noted that California state, county, and local law have had matching requirements for years without issue.[9]
In Massachusetts, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers identified ICE impersonators and masked or anonymous law enforcement as a danger to state residents.[8] In response, led by Bruce Tarr, the Republican leader of the Massachusetts Senate, state senators filed a bill to modify state law, closing a loophole that only criminalized impersonating local, county, or state-level law enforcement.[8] Under the changes, it would be a state crime in Massachusetts to impersonate federal officials.[8]
Federal
In response to various incidents, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat from New York, introduced the "No Masks for ICE Act". The bill would "make it illegal for federal agents to cover their faces while conducting immigration enforcement unless the masks were required for their safety or their health" and would require "agents to clearly display their name and agency affiliation on their clothes during arrests and enforcement operations".[5] The measure was co-sponsored by Representative Laura Friedman but had no Republican co-sponsors.[5]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Bethune, Naomi (2025-06-24). "ICE Impersonations Proliferate Amid the Agency's Undercover Tactics". The American Prospect. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Over the past few months, there have been chronic reports of individuals posing as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, in many cases using these guises to commit unlawful acts. Impersonation of law enforcement is not an uncommon occurrence in the United States, but the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, and the particular ways in which ICE enjoys anonymity, have led to increased opportunities for such behavior, endangering and exploiting immigrants and their communities, regardless of their status.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cheney-Rice, Zak (2025-07-28). "No One Can Tell Who's a Cop Anymore Masked criminals are impersonating ICE agents and police, preying on an already terrorized public". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-07-28. Since President Trump reassumed office, the United States has been subjected to a dramatic spike in law enforcement, with often brutal ramifications. With a new daily quota of 3,000 arrests, federal immigration authorities have called on a range of local police agencies to help round up immigrants and dissidents while Trump has deployed the National Guard and the Marines to run interference for the Feds during raids — an unprecedented blitz that spans big cities, small towns, and rural farmlands. This immigration dragnet will only get wider after Congress passed a megabill this month that will triple ICE's budget by 2028, likely making domestic immigration enforcement more expensive than funding the Marine Corps.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Arnold, Jeff (2025-06-16). "ICE officers and impersonators accused of targeting women". KTLA. Archived from the original on 2025-08-18. 'All our lives, we are taught to fear masked men in unmarked vehicles,' the letter stated. 'We learn we should run from such men to avoid being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, or killed. Yet, ICE is increasingly conducting raids and arrests in masks, plain clothes, without visible identification or badges, using unmarked vehicles – tactics that cause confusion, terror, and mistrust among the public.'
1 2 3 4 5 6 Ventura, Bianca (2025-06-26). "'No Vigilantes Act' introduced in an effort to identify federal ICE agents". KTXL. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Yet some lawmakers and different law enforcement agencies have expressed opposition towards requiring federal ICE agents to identify themselves, citing concerns of doxing, retaliation or harassment. 'I actually completely disagree with that statement,' said Pérez. 'I see for myself that our local law enforcement agents have been operating this way for years. Whether you look at our local police officers, whether you look at sheriffs, they all provide some sort of identification, some sort of verification. This is basic accountability. This is basic law and order. And I think in so many ways, this makes all of us safer.'
↑ Sharp, John (2025-07-12). "ICE official says agents seen as 'imperial thugs,' defends face masks". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on 2025-08-25. 'That impassions people,' he said. 'They want to act because they feel there is an injustice. People get followed around. Now your kid cannot sit at the lunch table with other kids at school because of what I do for my job, which I think is very valuable.'
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