In a sharply worded ruling delivered Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Young — a Ronald Reagan appointee — criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for their use of masks during operations, equating the practice to a tool of intimidation rather than protection.
In his ruling, he wrote that “ICE goes masked for a single reason — to terrorize Americans into quiescence,” and added that “In all our history we have never tolerated an armed masked secret police.”
Young ruled that the Trump administration infringed on the First Amendment rights of foreign students.
At the very start of his opinion, the judge reproduced an anonymous postcard he had received, followed by his written reply:
“TRUMP HAS PARDONS AND TANKS... WHAT DO YOU HAVE?”
“Dear Mr. or Ms. Anonymous, Alone, I have nothing but my sense of duty. Together, We the People of the United States — you and me — have our magnificent Constitution. Here’s how that works out in a specific case," he wrote in response to the threat.
The ruling comes amid growing debate over immigration enforcement tactics, the role of transparency in law enforcement, and the balance between security and civil liberties.
Critics of ICE’s methods have long raised concerns about accountability when agents’ faces are obscured during raids or other enforcement actions. Supporters of covert tactics argue that masking helps protect agents’ safety and prevents retaliation or harassment. Judge Young’s ruling signals a judicial pushback against the latter rationale, at least in this particular case.