A recently released federal bulletin from the Federal Bureau of Investigation warns that criminals posing as agents of the U.S. immigration agency are conducting robberies, kidnappings and sexual assaults. According to the document, WIRED wrote impersonators are exploiting the heightened public profile of the immigration agency to prey on vulnerable individuals, making it “harder for Americans to distinguish between lawful officers and impostors.”
In one alarming incident cited, three men in black vests entered a New York restaurant claiming to be ICE officers. They tied up a worker, covered the person’s head with a garbage bag, and robbed an ATM. Elsewhere in Bay County, Florida, a woman “unzipped [her] jacket and revealed a shirt that said ICE” and told her ex‑boyfriend’s wife she was there to “pick her up,” then drove her to an apartment complex before the victim escaped.
The FBI’s advisory recommends that agencies coordinate to “verify legitimate versus non‑legitimate operations” attributed to the immigration agency. It also lists signs of impersonation: forged credentials, mismatched vehicles, and outdated gear. A senior official from ICE said, “Anyone caught impersonating themselves as a federal immigration agent will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Civil‑rights advocates emphasise the broader implications for trust in law enforcement. As one put it, when masked or unidentified agents carry out operations, “anyone can don a mask and a gun and not be expected or required to verify their authority.”
Agencies around the U.S. are now urged to insist that officers clearly identify themselves, allow verification calls and ensure that community members can distinguish federal law enforcement from dangerous impersonators.
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