Washington Dems demand mask ban for law enforcement as attacks on ICE agents surge nationwide

A proposal by Washington state Democrats to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing face-concealing masks during public operations is drawing sharp criticism from federal officials, who warn the measure could endanger officers at a time when violence and threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are rising dramatically nationwide.

If enacted, Senate Bill 5855 would prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, from wearing masks that obscure their identities during public interactions, with limited exceptions for undercover assignments and certain tactical operations. The bill received its first hearing on Tuesday before the Washington Senate Law & Justice Committee.

“This is about making sure people know who is exercising government power in their neighborhoods,” said Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), the bill’s sponsor. Valdez told lawmakers the measure was introduced in response to public concern over ICE agents wearing masks during immigration operations, which he said undermines public trust.

Federal officials, however, urged lawmakers to pause, warning that the proposal fails to account for a rapidly deteriorating security environment for immigration enforcement officers and their families.

“The bill recklessly endangers the lives of members of our law enforcement community and their family members,” said Pete Serrano, First Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

“We’re seeing increasing instances of doxing members of law enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security has stated that as of last fall, doxing incidents increased by more than a thousand percent.”

Serrano’s warning comes amid newly released DHS statistics showing a dramatic rise in violence targeting ICE agents. According to DHS, assaults against ICE officers increased more than 1,300 percent during the first year of the Trump administration, rising from 19 reported assaults in 2024 to 275 assaults between January 20 and December 31, 2025. Vehicular attacks surged even more sharply, with 66 incidents recorded between January 21, 2025, and January 7, 2026, compared to just two during the same period the year before, a 3,200 percent increase. DHS has also reported an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against ICE personnel.

Federal officials have also pointed to increasingly hostile political rhetoric surrounding immigration enforcement, warning that public demonization of ICE may be contributing to the surge in violence. DHS leaders say ICE agents are being targeted not only during enforcement actions, but also online, where personal information about officers and their families has been circulated.

Tensions escalated further in Seattle over the weekend after Socialist Mayor Katie Wilson said during a large anti-ICE rally that she wanted illegal immigrants to vote. She told the 6,500 people that attended, “Whatever the status of your immigration paperwork, this is your city,” adding that residents “deserve to be safe, to live a dignified life and to have a say in your government.” An image posted by Wilson from the event shows the mayor with two individuals, one of whom is wearing a shirt that reads "FIGHT ICE" and holding a sign with a sticker stating "Nazis own flammable cars."

Last week, Wilson criticized recent enforcement actions in Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma, alleging that masked ICE agents were “kidnapping people in unmarked vans.” She pledged expanded legal support and protections for illegal immigrants and encouraged residents to sign up for “ICE Mobilization Alerts,” an activist system critics say is tied to national Soros-funded leftist activist groups.