Unmasking ICE
Transparency, not secrecy, is essential to public safety and democracy

Under the Trump administration, agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, have been wearing masks while detaining people. Denver’s decision to prohibit this practice marks an important step in protecting the city’s residents. The rest of Colorado – and the nation for that matter – should follow suit. 

Across the country, we have watched as ICE officers roam the streets like rogue paramilitaries, covering their faces as they arrest suspected “illegal” immigrants, sometimes at gunpoint. The Department of Homeland Security claims that agents must conceal their identities from the public due to the inherent risks of their jobs. 

But just how dangerous is ICE’s work? 

According to government data, not very. Between 1915-2025, 76 immigration enforcement agents died on the job. The last officer to die from a gunshot wound, James Holdman Jr. in 2021, had accidentally discharged his own weapon. Jaime Jorge Zapata died in the line of duty in 2011, but he was gunned down in Mexico while assisting narcotics investigators. 

A handful of other officers have died since 2011, but from medical complications unrelated to their work as federal officers. According to the Cato Institute, the likelihood of an ICE or Border Patrol agent being killed at work is “5.5 times less likely than a civilian being murdered.” In fact, ICE agents are more likely to die from COVID-19 or cancer than from a violent attack at work. 

The risks of ICE’s work seem pedestrian when compared to those of other professions – including education. As a professor at Fort Lewis College, I walk into the classroom every day acutely aware of the threats facing me and my colleagues. Sadly, we know that shootings remain a clear risk to all educators, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, violence against teachers is higher than for any other non-policing occupation. 

Despite this, teachers across the nation don’t step into classrooms wearing masks, though some politicians have urged them to arm themselves to “level the playing field.” Educators understand that success in the classroom depends on building relationships, fostering trust and helping young people maintain a sense of connection with others. 

Can you imagine it any other way? Envision, for example, a college professor lecturing on chemical reactions or best business practices in a ski mask with a loaded 9mm strapped to their hip. 

Democracy lives and dies on the hill of transparency. I think we all realize that any public entity that attempts to operate anonymously undermines the community’s trust. 

Our system of governance relies on checks and balances that melt away when public servants hide their identities. Masks make it more difficult to hold individuals accountable for their actions, which increases the likelihood of misconduct. This is particularly concerning in the case of law enforcement officers, as they alone are entrusted with the use of deadly force 

When officers can be clearly identified, they are more likely to act with humility and responsibility, as they know that their actions are subject to public scrutiny and the law. 

Educators understand the power of visibility like few others. It is not just about being seen, it is about being responsible. In the classroom, we model behavior, build rapport and create safe spaces where students feel valued and heard. This should be a universal standard for all public officials, including ICE officers.

But let’s be honest. ICE officers don’t wear masks because their job is risky. They wear masks to instill fear while shielding themselves from the public they are supposedly protecting. Masks allow agents to cross constitutional lines without their friends and neighbors knowing what they do during the day. Hidden under their masks, ICE agents routinely rough up, and even kill, migrants and protesters while violating constitutional rights such as due process and protection from unlawful searches and seizures. 

It’s time to unmask ICE. If teachers across the United States can walk into classrooms unprotected, then surely federal officers – armed with bullet proof vests and deadly weapons – can perform their duties with a name, a face and a badge number. 

Benjamin Waddell is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He lives in Durango.