ICE agents wear masks when making arrests in Massachusetts due to safety concerns, Acting Director says
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A news conference was held earlier this week, revealing nearly 1,500 people were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts, and why agents are seen wearing masks.
ICE agents in Massachusetts have come under public scrutiny for wearing masks during arrest operations, prompting a pointed response from ICE's Acting Director Todd Lyons during a news conference earlier this week.
Protests held in Amherst following arrests by ICE
Lyons returned to the podium to explain the reason behind the use of facial coverings by agents, citing escalating threats to officers' personal safety.
'A lot of agencies were invited to come out two weeks ago in Los Angeles, where we ran an operation where ICE offices were doxed,' Lyons told reporters. 'So let's just say that again, people are out there taking photos of the names, their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves.'
The acting director emphasized that the masks are a protective measure, not an attempt to obscure accountability.
'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' Lyons said.
According to Lyons, ICE agents were also recently involved in a joint operation with the U.S. Secret Service, during which an individual was arrested for targeting law enforcement families online.
'We arrested someone who was going online, taking their photos, posting their families, their kids' Instagram, their kids' Facebook, and targeting them,' Lyons said. 'So let me ask—is that the issue here, that we're just upset about the masks, or is anyone upset with the fact that ICE officers' families were labeled terrorists?'
Operation Patriot nets 1,500 arrested by ICE in Massachusetts
The comments come amid heightened national debate over immigration enforcement tactics, including online privacy and safety for government employees involved in controversial federal operations.
The news conference also revealed that nearly 1,500 individuals had been arrested by ICE in Massachusetts as part of recent enforcement actions.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Advocates raise concerns after video appears to show ICE detain people outside immigration court
STERLING, Va. (DC News Now) — Video shared with DC News Now, taken by the advocacy group New Virginia Majority (NVM), appears to show U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents making arrests outside an immigration court in Loudoun County. Sofia Saiyed, a campaign coordinator with NVM, took one of the videos and told DC News Now she believes the people detained were taken to a detention center in Farmville. 'Sometimes they would take them one by one, and sometimes they would pack the van with a few detainees and then drive away,' she said. Hagerstown rallies for return of Vietnamese woman detained by ICE It's unclear who the detained individuals are or why they are being detained. DC News Now reached out to ICE to learn more about the apparent arrests and to learn when it would conduct an operation at a courthouse. An ICE official has not yet responded. Saiyed said she thinks the government is following a specific tactic that starts with an ICE prosecutor asking the judge to dismiss an immigration case. 'The judge will let people know that they have the ability to appeal. The individual will say, 'Yes, I want to appeal,'' she said. 'Then, they'll step out of the courtroom… and immediately be arrested.' People who want to stay in the U.S. and are trying to prove why they should be allowed to, often come to the immigration court in Sterling. Many times, it can lead to a trial where they present evidence, offer witness testimonies, and then a judge will decide whether they can stay. Miguel Palmeiro, an immigration attorney in Northern Virginia, said he now has clients who are afraid to go to court — even for people he believes have strong asylum cases. 'We had submitted something like over a thousand pages of proof of their asylum claim, and now the client's too scared,' he said. 'So the client doesn't show up to court and then they don't even have a chance to win their case… We're not even getting to the real issue of, 'should they be in America or not.'' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
32 minutes ago
- Newsweek
3-Year-Old Arrested By ICE Agents in California
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 3-year-old was among those arrested during route checks at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Francisco on Wednesday. At least 15 people, including young children, were taken into custody, according to immigration rights advocates. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment. Why It Matters Several of the detainees, including parents and young children, spent the night at the ICE field office at 630 Sansome Street, according to Priya Patel, a supervising attorney with the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice. Advocates reported that the group included at least four children and consisted of residents from San Francisco, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties. Individuals with pending immigration cases are usually required to report to ICE officials at least once a year while their cases move through an often backlogged court system. Newsweek has revealed several cases of green card holders and undocumented immigrants being detained at immigration appointments at ICE field offices across the United States. An ICE agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) pictured during an operation in May 2019 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. (Photo by) An ICE agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) pictured during an operation in May 2019 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. (Photo by)What To Know Advocates from the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) and Mission Action say that some of the detainees were still in the middle of their immigration proceedings and did not have final deportation orders. Others were complying with ICE supervision requirements as part of ongoing legal processes. Several of those detained have since been transferred to detention facilities, including the Golden State Annex in McFarland, California, and the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, which holds women and children. Advocates also raised concerns that children detained with fathers may face family separation, as there are no facilities equipped to house fathers with children. Several undocumented immigrants were taken into custody and held in the building's basement, with some reportedly held overnight, according to immigration attorneys and family members. Democratic lawmakers are furious with the move. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi launched a scathing attack on Trump's immigration enforcers over the incident. "It is stupid that ICE is now arresting families and children for obeying the law. The detained immigrants were diligently cooperating with law enforcement and complying with the law by reporting to their regularly scheduled check-in with ICE," Pelosi said. These families were following their normal routine – and if the purpose of ICE is to ensure immigration laws and processes are enforced and followed, these arrests run counter to that mission and are inconsistent with it. Protesters gathered outside the ICE field office on Wednesday evening to express their opposition to the recent detentions. What People Are Saying Pelosi said in a press release: "The traumatic impact these detainments will have on these families – including a three-year-old child – who are being detained for obeying the law is outrageous and unforgivable. This menacing conduct will instill fear in immigrants who have scheduled future check-ins with ICE officials and their trepidation may deter them from pursuing lawful pathways. Clearly ICE does not place a value on our responsibility to the wellbeing of families. Patel told reporters on a press call: "They're disappearing families and not even giving folks the courtesy of telling us what they're going to do with them when these are families who have legitimate fears of returning to their country." San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder said in a statement: "San Francisco can no longer pretend it is immune from the reaches of the Trump administration," Fielder said in a statement. "Every official and organized body must denounce this attack on constitutional rights and express support for our immigrant San Franciscans."
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Arrest made in April murder of Falmouth man behind Taunton school, DA says
Authorities arrested a Roxbury man on Friday, accused of a deadly shooting behind a Taunton school in April. 39-year-old David Jones was charged with the murder of Stephan Myers on April 29, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. Jones will be arraigned in Taunton District Court on Friday afternoon. On the morning of April 30, Myers's body was found at a construction area behind Bristol-Plymouth High School. He had sustained a gunshot wound, according to investigators. It's unclear if Jones and Myers were known to each other. No further information was immediately available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
