Pass H.4684:  AN ACT ENSURING LAW ENFORCEMENT IDENTIFICATION AND PUBLIC TRUST 

WE, the undersigned taxpayers, voters and residents of Massachusetts, are witnessing the unprecedented abuse of power by masked federal agents in our neighborhoods and demand Beacon Hill take action to rein them in. 

Already we’ve seen hundreds of incidents, videoed by our neighbors, of federal agents concealing their faces, refusing to name themselves, terrorizing our streets, shopping centers and even public parks.  Masks just grant them license to act unprofessionally and escape accountability.  And there are soon to be 10,000 more ICE agents, now that Congress just passed a massive spending bill to ramp up immigration enforcement.  

Meanwhile, reports of fake ICE agents are multiplying; thieves, swindlers and thugs who order uniforms and masks online to perpetrate their offenses. These impostors are nothing more than common criminals, exploiting the loophole that allows federal agents to mask and not identify themselves.

THEREFORE, we insist that you, our duly elected state officials, advance and expedite passage of H.4684: AN ACT ENSURING LAW ENFORCEMENT IDENTIFICATION AND PUBLIC TRUST.  This common-sense proposal will require self-identification and professional conduct for all law enforcement officials operating in our Commonwealth.  

[Drawing by Nick Thorkelson]