Sen. Chris Murphy slams ICE, says allowing masked officers will enable 'depravity' and 'vigilantism'

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., condemned the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics Tuesday, warning that plans to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and allow agents to operate in masks could lead to "vigilantism" and "depravity."

Speaking on "The Bulwark" podcast, Murphy criticized the administration’s push to hire more ICE officers to execute mass deportations—a centerpiece of President Donald Trump's immigration agenda. He argued that such rapid expansion, coupled with the anonymity provided by masks, could attract undesirable candidates and create dangerous conditions for misconduct.

Murphy said that officers wearing masks can be "just a cover for illegality and for brutality, because if nobody can identify the law enforcement officer that's beating the hell out of an immigrant, then everybody can get away with it."

MASSACHUSETTS BILL WOULD FORCE ICE AGENTS TO UNMASK

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has raised concerns about the doxxing of ICE agents, claiming attacks have skyrocketed by 830% since January. The DHS has called on the Justice Department to prosecute anyone suspected of "doxxing" ICE agents by posting agents’ photos and personal information online or in public.

Murphy said he wants federal agents to be treated with respect but warned that as Trump beefs up ICE by hiring more officers, "There is an element of folks who are going to be drawn to these jobs that see it as a bonus that they can get away with masked vigilantism."

"As you hire into ICE so quickly, the standard for who you hire is going to go down and down and down," he said. "If ICE decides to hire 10,000 people this year, man, there are going to be some pretty unsavory people who get hired, and the masks allow them to sort of get away with a level of depravity that none of us should accept."

He compared the hiring pace to the Border Patrol, which, he claimed, struggles to find even 1,000 people a year who meet their criteria. 

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Bulwark host Tim Miller suggested that immigration raids by masked officers seem "pretty risky" in a heavily armed country like the United States, and Murphy offered a theory.

"One of my colleagues was speculating that the reason that these very high-profile raids are happening in a place like California and not happening, at least as visibly, in places like Arizona, is because of the worry that in a community with folks who have concealed weapons, it's going to lead to a shootout," he said. 

"And that shouldn't ever be the reason why you aren't enforcing the law, that you're worried you're going to get shot at," he added.

The White House blasted Murphy's rhetoric, arguing that he is not only misinformed, but calling to endanger ICE officers by being against their ability to wear masks.

"Chris Murphy’s smears are wrong and reckless. ICE officers are facing an 830% increase in assaults against them because of dangerous, untrue comments from elected Democrats like Murphy," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. "ICE officers wear masks to protect themselves and their families from being doxxed in the midst of smears like this from Democrats. And it’s shameful that Murphy would attempt to undermine future law enforcement officers by attacking them with absolutely no basis or knowledge of their character. ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities with the utmost professionalism. Murphy is simply doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens." 

The article was updated to include a statement from the White House. 

Matt Finn and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.