Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Healey Backs Campbell in Clash With U.S. Attorney Over Masked ICE Operations

The dispute turns on constitutional limits that hinder Massachusetts from enforcing a state ban on federal agents concealing their identities.

Overview

  • On GBH, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said a state anti-masking law would be nearly impossible to apply to ICE and urged federal accountability through the U.S. Attorney.
  • U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley publicly rebuked Campbell, citing the Supremacy Clause, defending mask use as protection against doxxing and threats, and calling Campbell’s statements inaccurate.
  • Governor Maura Healey sided with Campbell, questioned the logic of federal mask use, and encouraged residents to record encounters to document ICE conduct.
  • State Representative Jim Hawkins filed a bill to prohibit law enforcement from covering their faces, and Senate President Karen Spilka expressed support for the proposal.
  • ICE officials say masks protect agents and families from harassment as authorities also warn about impersonators, with California’s new anti-masking law already facing federal pushback.