By Michael Leppert
The Indiana Citizen
May 14, 2025
In the opening scene of the film, “The Hate U Give,” a father is having The Talk with his two young children. It is a common discussion Black families have in America to prepare for the inevitable contact with law enforcement they will face, and how to stay safe in those situations. It is a sad necessity, but a necessity all the same.
The movie was based on the 2017 award-winning novel by Angie Thomas. It was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, though plenty of important things have happened in real life since then.
In The Talk, the father is instructing his kids how to be submissive when confronted by an armed aggressor with governmental authority. That submissiveness communicates to the authority the intent to be compliant and peaceful and is designed to lower the temperature of the moment. The goal is to survive the moment and then worry about justice through due process later.
It’s good advice. At least it used to be. Before 2025, the advice from The Talk made some assumptions. Primarily, that those claiming to be the police were exactly that.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has apparently made mask-wearing part of the standard attire when detaining people. Sometimes they are in military style clothing, and sometimes they are in plain clothes, an inconsistency that makes them even less trustworthy. The agents are often armed with semi-automatic rifles adding to the fear factor of the costumes being worn when capturing their targets.
When I first noticed it earlier this year, I was surprised and curious. With each passing video, my initial concern has evolved into outrage. It is disturbing how this approach to law enforcement has quickly become the norm at the Department of Homeland Security, the governing department of ICE.
We cannot stand for this practice to spread to other law enforcement agencies, or for it to continue with DHS. And The Talk won’t work for this.
Rumeysa Ozturk, the Turkish student from Tufts University, was arrested by ICE agents in plain clothes on March 25th. She was released on Saturday after spending more than six weeks in custody. She has not been charged with a crime. Video of her arrest shows the approach by officers in plain clothes, and then masks being pulled up to hide their faces.
When Newark Mayor Ras Baraka attempted to enter an ICE detention facility in Newark last week, he was temporarily detained. Bodycam footage shows several of the officers wearing masks there too. Democratic Congress members who were also present claim that ICE officials purposely created the confrontation to show their control and to intimidate.
Let me be clear. I have no intention of peaceably submitting to anyone claiming to be with the government while also concealing his identity. Nope. Never. I don’t think anyone should. I have a reasonable expectation to be able to identify anyone claiming to be an officer of the law who is attempting to detain me for any reason. So does every other person in America. And I purposely use the word “person” there, not “citizen,” just as the Constitution does.
In March, CNN’s chief law enforcement analyst, John Miller, asked why Department of Homeland Security officers had begun wearing masks during arrests, as it is “not the kind of thing that happens in America.” Through a spokesperson, the agency issued this statement: “When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers.”
That’s not good enough. Not by a long shot.
Law enforcement, as is often the case with public service in general, is a dangerous job. People are unpredictable, particularly during tense situations. Those in public facing roles in the government require training when facing an angry public. I had plenty of it myself. It was never even suggested during my service that concealing my identity would be appropriate. In fact, that practice in and of itself would have been viewed as inflammatory. Because it is.
Versions of the “strict scrutiny” test should always be applied during any “operation” as the DHS spokesperson referred. What this means is that DHS and ICE should be approaching their operations using the least restrictive means necessary to achieve the governmental interest in each matter. Could there be a time when temporarily concealing an officer’s identity in an operation is appropriate? Yes. However, what we are seeing time and again currently, is that virtually all of these immigration operations feature mask wearing
They are purposely in disguise to avoid accountability, plain and simple. It signals that due process won’t follow.
The original instruction from The Talk won’t work in this environment. Some other strategy will need to emerge.
Michael Leppert is an author, educator and a communication consultant in Indianapolis. He writes about government, politics and culture at MichaelLeppert.com. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Indiana Citizen or any other affiliated organization.
