Unlawful Impersonations of ICE officials

Criminals appearing as masked ICE agents were compared to the assassinations of Minnesota legislators and the January 6, 2021 terrorist attack on the U.S. capital.

During the Second Trump Administration, President Donald Trump prioritized large-scale deportation of immigrant populations through United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 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 noted that the widespread use of masks and failure to present identification made it hard to distinguish between real and fake immigration agents, a circumstance that facilitated criminal impersonations of ICE personnel. Individuals posing as officers used false credentials and ICE insignia to intimidate, defraud, kidnap, rob, and sexually assault victims, particularly women in immigrant communities. 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," while advocacy groups linked the phenomenon to ICE’s own controversial operational practices and to broader hostility toward right-wing politics in the United States. National and local media connected impersonator attacks to violent incidents such as the 2025 shootings of Minnesota legislators, and women’s organizations argued that ICE’s concealment of officer identities exacerbated risks of sexual abuse. 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. 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.

Since the amplification of resources deployed by Donald Trump toward deportation in the second Trump administration, impersonations and imposters associated with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have become more frequent, engaging immigrant communities.^[1] This amplification of actions toward alleged undocumented immigrants included the activation of the United States Armed Forces within the U.S. itself, military aircraft, and re-tasking of many agents of Federal law enforcement in the United States from their defined and assigned tasks to immigration enforcement.^[2] The Trump administration set a minimum quota of ICE and border control agents to arrest 3000 humans per day.^[3] Increasing reports of ICE impersonators and imposters have resulted in dozens of members of the United States Congress calling on the United States Department of Homeland Security to launch investigations into the situation.^[4] No legal statute as of July 2025 requires Federal law enforcement to identifying uniforms, to not wear masks, or to identify themselves.^[3]

ICE impersonators have been arrested for those actions in multiple U.S. states.^[2] The volume and frequency of ICE impersonations to commit unlawful actions has been described as chronic.^[1] Rob Bonta, the Attorney General of California, confirmed reports of growing numbers of ICE personators.^[5] Bonta stated that "bad actors" had begun to "capitalizing on the fear" raised among minorities by the Trump administration.^[6] Incidents of ICE imposters included kidnappings, robberies, fraud, and sexual assault.^[7] ICE has been extensively criticized for their ongoing failures to identify themselves in their anti-immigration operations under the Trump administration.^[4] The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues identified the masking of ICE agents as contributing to imposters and increasing exposure of women, especially immigrants, to risk of sexual assault.^[4] Arick Fudali of The Bloom Firm noted that the simplicity of ICE agents actual uniforms, masks, and procedures made it simple for imposters to impersonate them and use the fear and intimidation inherent in ICE interactions toward victims.^[4]

The impersonation of ICE agents to commit crimes and harass persons has been linked in news media to the 2025 shootings of Minnesota legislators, where a conservative gunman masked as law enforcement murdered several Democratic Party elected officials, family and pets.^[1] Minnesota law enforcement also compared the murders to ICE anonymity.^[3] Minnesota Department of Public Safety commissioner Bob Jacobson said the "assassin" "had exploited the trust our uniforms are meant to represent."^[3] Media also compared it to the attempted attacks on lawful protestors by a masked individual at a No Kings protests event.^[1] It was reported that attempting to impersonate or assist ICE and immigration actions leads to societal hostility toward right-wing politics and beliefs, such as those advanced by the Republican Party.^[1] New York Magazine compared the fake ICE impersonators to "right-wing vigilantes", comparing their actions to the terrorists in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.^[3]

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2025, Jason Selvig of the political comedy group The Good Liars interviewed an attendee in an "ICE" outfit with a Make America Great Again red hat.^[1] The individual celebrated the ability to instill fear into Hispanic-American populations by wearing the outfit to "a Home Depot in a sanctuary city."^[1] Ms. Magazine reported that "[r]ight-wing extremists have also been wearing ICE costumes in predominantly Latino workplaces and neighborhoods, including in San Francisco, California, to instill fear across immigrant communities."^[8]

The American Prospect noted that ICE's predominant usage of masks to hide the identities of their agents has made it easier for imposters to pose as ICE.^[1] The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services noted it was challenging to identify how rampant historical under-reporting of interactions with law enforcement in the United States is.^[1] The Charleston Hispanic Association reported to CNN that such harassment of Hispanic-Americans had now become commonplace, but was not often reported or recorded.^[2] In response to the continued presence of masked ICE agents and masked ICE imposters, California and other states began taking and developing legal responses to the epidemics of both, to attempt passage of laws restricting usage of masks for law enforcement.^[9] Criminals pretending to be ICE were noted to have attempted to commit crimes by "phone, text, email or on social media."^[6]

Fudali added, "(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?"^[4] Impersonating a Federal officer is a crime.^[6] Kristi Noem, the current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, has defended the ability of ICE agents to keep their identities secret, weighing their safety over that of the public.^[4] ICE leadership has stated they believe agents need to be anonymous to be safe from public oversight and repercussions.^[3] California State Senator Scott Wiener compared the situation to "secret police".^[10]

In Huntington Park, California, Fernando Diaz was arrested for allegedly "posing as a federal immigration officer". Diaz was arrested after his car was impounded and police discovered the materials in his vehicle. When searched the man 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."^[11] Diaz was charged with "possession of the allegedly unregistered firearm and released on bail."^[11] Diaz has denied the allegations.^[11]

An ICE imposter in Newbury Park, California attempted to intimidate Hispanic peoples at a taqueria.^[6]

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) member Kathryn Barger issued a direct warning in a LACBOS meetingto the public to be aware of ICE impersonators.^[10] Masked men impersonating ICE detained the godson of a LACBOS staffer, telling them, "nice truck for someone with that surname."^[10] The incident was confirmed by the Los Angeles Times.^[10] The men were denied access to the vehicle and fled when a crowd began recording the attack.^[10]

The Government of the District of Columbia issued a warning to the public of these ICE scams and impersonators.^[12] In addition to physical impersonation, fraud has occurred involving telephone-based ICE impersonation scams.^[12] The scams fraudulently attempt to get money to defer deportations.^[12]

In Indiantown, Florida, two men were alleged to have impersonated an ICE officer and target immigrants at a "fake traffic stop" where they would ask drivers for their "documents and immigration status."^[11] The men in Florida threatened Hispanic-Americans with deportation, and were ultimately arrested for their actions on Federal criminal charges.^[1]

A man in Houston, Texas, was robbed by a fake ICE agent in disguise conducting an illegal traffic road block.^[3]

In Maryland, Victor Antonio Reed is accused of raping a Latina women while posing as an ICE agent.^[8]

In New York city, a man is alleged to have pretended to be an ICE agent and is accused of trying rape an immigrant woman along with stealing her "phone, purse and jewelry."^[8] The Brooklyn, New York City a woman was assaulted by a civilian disguised as an ICE agent.^[4][13]

In Durham, North Carolina a fake ICE truck was used to harass people at a grocery store.^[14] The grocery store is in a predominantly Hispanic area.^[15]

Carl Thomas Bennett was arrested in Raleigh, North Carolina, for impersonating an ICE agent and sexually assaulting a woman in that guise.^[2] The attack occurred at a local Motel 6.^[16] Acting as an ICE agent, Bennett threatened the woman with deportation if she did not have sex with him, and presented fake credentials.^[2] Bennett also claimed to be a sworn law enforcement officer and was in possession of cocaine and associated pipe.^[14] Siembra NC, an immigrant rights advocacy group in North Carolina, said the attack was part of a growing broader targeting of immigrants through such scams.^[16] Bennett has been charged with "kidnapping, second-degree rape and impersonating a law enforcement officer."^[8]

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a man robbed others while impersonating an ICE official.^[8] In the incident, the ICE impersonator physically tied up victims and stole $1000 in cash.^[1]

Early in Trump's term, in South Carolina a man is alleged to impersonate ICE in order to "harass and mock a group of Latino men".^[8][11] During the incident, which was recorded, the impersonator physically captured the men with his vehicle, took their car keys, and threatened to "deport" them.^[1] The suspect has been "charged with kidnapping for taking the driver’s keys and trapping the men in their car."^[8] The incident on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, led to the arrest of Sean-Michael Johnson, where it was reported he stated, "Now don’t be speaking that pig-Latin in my fucking country!"^[2]

Two men are accused of attempted to enter Temple University's dormitories while posing as ICE agents.^[11] One of the two men were charged with impersonating an officer.^[11]

A woman in Washington, D.C. was forced into a car and raped by a man disguised as an immigration officer; the man threatened her falsely with deportation.^[4][17] The Latina woman was attacked by Victor Antonio Reed according to police, who falsely identified himself as a Federal ICE agent.^[17]

Police in Fife, Washington investigated a fake ICE patrol vehicle which targeted Emish Market, a Ukrainian grocery store in the city.^[18] The vehicle bore an ICE logo and verbiage, with visible text of "DELIVERY" beneath that, no license plates, and the visible text of "1775" and "911".^[18] The alleged ICE vehicle immediately fled when confronted by store security.^[18]

In response to various incidents, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat from New York, introduced the "No Masks for ICE Act" that 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".^[19] The bill was co-sponsored by representative Laura Friedman but has no Republican co-sponsors.^[19]

• Detention and deportation of American citizens in the second Trump administration
• Immigration detention in the United States
• Immigration policy of the second Trump administration