A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman offered a two-word reply Friday in response to a local news report that said immigration agents were seen wearing Halloween masks in the Los Angeles area.
“Happy Halloween!” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin wrote to NBC News when asked about the report.
The story by the local news site LA Taco featured images posted to social media showing what the outlet says were agents in unmarked cars donning Chucky and Momo masks. It said a member of the Harbor Area Peace Patrol, which monitors federal activity in the area, spotted the vehicle with the Momo mask-wearing driver at an immigration raid on Tuesday.
An activist with Harbor Area Peace Patrol told NBC News that he observed cars previously used on immigration raids leaving an ICE staging area on Tuesday, as they typically do ahead of raids. Two people in the cars were wearing masks – one Momo, the other Chucky.
“We are out there six days a week," said the activist, who only wanted to be identified as Victor. "We take pictures of the cars as they leave. We put information out for the community to be aware."
McLaughlin declined to say whether the masks were being worn by ICE officers or Border Patrol agents. She also did not comment on whether the use of such masks would increase assaults on ICE officers if those being arrested attempt to fight back against costumed agents unaware that they’re law enforcement.
DHS has said assaults on ICE officers are up 1,000% and threats to ICE officers are up 8,000%, though the agency did not provide raw numbers when citing the increase.
In Illinois, where the Trump administration has recently targeted immigration enforcement, Gov. JB Pritzker asked that DHS pause immigration arrests until after Halloween. Pritzker made the request after Border Patrol agents used tear gas in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago on Saturday as children were on their way to a Halloween parade.
On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rejected Pritzker’s request.
“We’re absolutely not willing to put on pause any work that we will do to keep communities safe,” Noem said at a news conference in Gary, Indiana, on Thursday.
“The fact that Gov. Pritzker is asking for that is shameful and, I think, unfortunate that he doesn’t recognize how important the work is that we do to make sure we’re bringing criminals to justice and getting them off our streets, especially when we’re going to send all of our kiddos out on the streets and going to events and enjoying the holiday season.”
