Mike Johnson Offers Bizarre Justification For ICE Masks. Backlash Follows.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faced criticism after he defended the wearing of masks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during immigration raids.
Johnson was asked by Fox News to respond to concerns from Democrats who say ICE agents shouldn't conceal their identities while conducting arrests as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
'From the people who mandated mask-wearing for years in America, it's absurd,' Johnson fired back, referencing the face-covering measures that Democrats implemented during the coronavirus pandemic in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.
'They need to back off of ICE and respect our agents and stop protesting against them,' he added, arguing that agents would be doxed if they were able to be identified.
MIKE JOHNSON: From the people who mandated mask wearing for years in America, it's absurd. They need to back off ICE and respect our agents.Q: So you're okay with these agents not identifying themselves when they're arresting migrants?JOHNSON: Why, so they can target them? So… pic.twitter.com/jJ5VjKa1bG
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 6, 2025
Critics pointed out the irony of Johnson's acceptance of agents wearing masks, given his history of opposing mask mandates for medical reasons, and suggested he had conjured up an extreme example of false equivalence.
Agents should be able to be held accountable, they argued.
Using @MikeJohnson's logic, every police officer should be masked and unidentified when doing their job, for fear of being 'doxed.' https://t.co/0IMICl28gr
— sammi 🐈⬛ (@sammiesingstuff) June 7, 2025
The people wearing masks to protect themselves and others from COVID weren't arresting people or depriving them of certain rights. There's a level of accountability that comes with being a law officer. https://t.co/DhM38WDeaq
— Mike O'Rourke (@MikeORourkenews) June 6, 2025
Yet another example of how these evil individuals are gradually destroying our precious democracy. #MikeJohnsonhttps://t.co/L7BjNm6tY3
— Daniel Morcate (@dmorca) June 6, 2025
Johnson was also criticized over the weekend for dismissing concerns about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's talk of active-duty Marines tackling protests against immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
'I don't think that's heavy-handed,' Johnson said.
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