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Disguised ICE officer refuses to identify his agency in New York

An ICE officer in disguise, wearing a hard hat and dark glasses, refused to identify his agency while conducting surveillance in Brewster, New York, telling an activist 'it's none of your business.'

Aug 2, 2025Brewster, NY

Disguised ICE officer refuses to identify his agency in New York
Photo via El País

Juan Fonseca Tapia, co-founder of Greater Danbury Unites for Immigrants in Connecticut, recorded a federal agent wearing a safety vest, hard hat, and dark glasses who refused to identify the agency he worked for while conducting surveillance in Brewster, New York on August 2. When Tapia asked what agency the officer represented, the man replied "I'm not going to tell you… It's none of your business" and only stated he belonged to "federal law-enforcement forces." ICE later confirmed that one of its own officers was behind the disguise, claiming the agents were conducting surveillance when anti-ICE activists attempted to disrupt their operation.

“The mere fact that they come out masked shows they do not identify themselves. We don’t know if they are from ICE, the DEA or the FBI. That creates fear and distrust in the community.”
— Ron Gochez
“You have three vehicles with very tinted windows, so it’s impossible to see inside. People are wearing masks and refuse to identify themselves, and one of them tells you he is going to call more of them to ‘take care of you’?”
— Juan Fonseca Tapia
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