The Great Mask Hypocrisy of Mike Johnson

Speaker Mike Johnson defended ICE agents wearing masks because they fear being identified and harassed, after years of the Republican Party mocking masks to prevent death from COVID.

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is trying to use the idea of medical professionals and scientists advocating for masks during the COVID pandemic to allowing ICE agents to hide their identities.

The hypocrisy is expected, but given the way Republicans mocked sick and vulnerable people for wearing masks during the height of the pandemic and the way that in a free democratic society, law enforcement identifies itself, this is a grotesque moment worth highlighting.

In a free society, law enforcement identifies itself. Police officers wear badges. This is for purposes of accountability and oversight, in the forever struggle between human rights and law enforcement.

The ACLU suggests that people ask an agent to show them their badge to identify themselves: “You can ask agents to show you their badges and identify themselves. ICE agents sometimes wear uniforms that say "Police" even though they are not police officers; it can be important to confirm what agency the officers work for. In addition to ICE, certain other federal law enforcement agencies have also participated in immigration enforcement.”

Refusal to identify themselves is a red flag that they might be an imposter.

Police officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers need to maintain public trust and uphold the Constitution, therefore it’s imperative that they are identifiable.

In late May, Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) wrote to urge ICE to follow what they say are the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations “requiring law enforcement to properly identify themselves and limit use of face coverings during official operations.”

In response to ICE agents hiding their faces and failing to identify themselves while kidnapping people off of the streets of the United States, they wrote:

“Across the country and in Virginia, masked ICE officers and agents without clearly visible identification as law enforcement have been arresting individuals on the streets and in sensitive locations, such as courthouses. Such actions put everyone at risk – the targeted individuals, the ICE officers and agents, and bystanders who may misunderstand what is happening and may attempt to intervene.”

“The failure of ICE officers and agents to promptly and clearly identify who they are and the authority under which they are acting has led witnesses of immigration enforcement operations to justifiably question the law enforcement status, authority, and constitutionality of ICE officers and agents and their operations. Such actionscompromise the safety of law enforcement officers and agents conducting the operation, the individual(s) being apprehended, bystanders, and other law enforcement who may be called to the scene to respond to a suspected crime.”

Unsurprisingly, Trump and Mike Johnson’s ICE agents operate opposite of police integrity.

“Police that lack integrity will often seek to enlarge their operational independence, without any willingness to respond to the needs of the public or to be accountable in a transparent way. In fact, they desire “operational freedom” without the burden of responsibility,” the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes handbook for policing says.

Why does Mike Johnson think people will dox ICE agents?

Oh, maybe because they are doing things like raiding an Italian restaurant, detaining citizens by mistake, and hauling off a mother visiting New York on vacation and leaving her daughter alone. In other words, they are doing things they should not be doing. They are violating basic human rights. They are, at times, being unlawful.

Johnson Fears Accountability

Mike Johnson is actually afraid of accountability. He knows if agents think they will be held responsible for the horrific, unlawful activities they are carrying out, they might think twice and the Trump regime can’t afford ICE agents who think twice.

After all, who among them will willingly volunteer to be sent to a shipping container in Africa.

No matter how Johnson tries to justify it, though, there is no excuse for the use of force and or detainment without identification as a member of law enforcement.

The Party Against Masks is Suddenly for Them But Only For ICE Agents

Republicans made fun of masks during the pandemic to such an extent that people who were vulnerable to illness had to assess the risks to themselves when seeking medical help in areas where medical professionals were not masking as a political statement.

Then came the wave of legislation to ban masks as an attempt to criminalize protesting while wearing a mask. There were and are some Democrats who support this as well. The legislation is often aimed at specific protests that Republicans do not agree with, and is focused on an intent to conceal identity.

One unintentional consequence of this is people with medical vulnerabilities being less able to engage in protests. People should always have the right to mask, especially after a pandemic that is spread through the air.

ICE Agents Need to Identify Themselves in a Free Country

If ICE agents are afraid of being identified, they shouldn’t be doing what they are doing. Police officers have to live and work in the communities they serve, and they have to identify themselves. Why should ICE agents not be held accountable to the community they serve?

If what they are doing is lawful, why are they hiding?

What do you think about Mike Johnson being a mask hypocrite? Discuss it in the comments below.