Democrats Begin to Cave on Their Simplest ICE Demand

[Celerity]

The Democrats are folding on their demand that federal agents stop covering their faces with masks while making arrests.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/schumer-jeffries-begin-cave-simplest-162503101.html



After demanding ICE and other federal agents be banned from wearing face coverings, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decided to fight for less, adding caveats and loopholes to their mask stances during a press conference on Wednesday.

“No secret police. I find it amazing that the Speaker of the House [thinks] they should be allowed to have masks,” Schumer said. “They need identification and no masks, except in extraordinary and unusual circumstances.” “There are several demands that we will articulate on behalf of the American people,” Jeffries said. “Certainly, I think there’s agreement that no masks should be deployed in an arbitrary and capricious fashion, as has been the case, horrifying the American people.”

In what “extraordinary and unusual circumstances” would these masked militiamen be justified in hiding their identities? They are federal officers who are in quiet suburbs and city streets alike, going door to door and kidnapping, brutalizing, and killing people along the way. And how exactly does Jeffries think that ICE can wear masks in a manner that isn’t arbitrary or capricious?

Above all, this is yet another confusing concession from a party whose base is desperately starving for its leaders to do something, anything, to stop the Trump administration from continuing to enact terror in their communities. Jeffries and Schumer are once again appealing to the GOP’s good faith and honesty—a move that has yet to actually work for them.

snip

[a kennedy]

1. DAMN, DAMN, DAMN

🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬

[dalton99a]

2. And warrantless searches and warrantless arrests will continue with anonymity and immunity

Just watch

[AStern]

3. I've been thinking about Democrats pushing back on the GOP

and if you think about it... they really haven't since 1980.

No push back to lowering taxes on corporations or the uber-wealthy.

No push back on the right wing take over of media.

Nothing done about January 6th.

Now caving on ICE.

and much much more...

Very disappointing.

[Initech]

7. If we want to rid ourselves of these authoritarian shitbags...

We're probably going to have fire about 98% of the government. There's no way of telling who's compromised at this point.

[Buzz cook]

8. They were shocked by Reagan's popularity.

They chose appeasement and that's been their big play since.
Democrats are also gun shy about the media calling them out as leftist commies.

[RussBLib]

9. hard to get Dems to the polls if their "leadership" continues to cave

it's demoralizing. Hey, how about Dems just fucking disband the party? Wouldn't be much different from now.

https://russblib.blogspot.com

[AStern]

10. It's why they keep losing IMHO

They did nothing to stop the two wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Too scared to call out Benjamin Netanyahu.

A lot of talk about Universal health care but there's always a troll (Lieberman, Sinema, Manchin) to ruin it.

Nothing to protect the post office or public education.

Is there a point anymore?

[Klarkashton]

4. Researchers have been busy identifying those bastards

Anyway.

Here is an example.

NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.

We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.

Read more:

— unraveled (@unraveledpress.com) 2026-02-04T21:24:41.461Z

[TommyT139]

5. If Dems allow ICE masks

...then it is them who are helping put ICE "agents" at risk. Same with badges and names.

Anything that allows imposters to terrorize Americans and legitimate guests within our borders should be a reason to fight back, whatever the endpoint.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Didn't even make it for 24 hours

Maybe not even 12 hours.

Pathetic.

[Bayard]

11. Most Americans would get behind strong leaders right now to combat this out of control administration

There is momentum--just look at the numbers of protest crowds.

Dems are blowing it again. The country wants to believe that Dems will turn things around. We need winners, not whiners.

[EdmondDantes_]

12. Other law enforcement and military agencies have rules that specify when masks are allowed

If the same rules apply to ICE, is that good enough?

[Duncan Grant]

14. ICE is the only agency wearing masks while committing atrocities.

Your argument is a false equivalency.

ICE is hunting people like slave trackers. ICE is maintaining a database of its enemies; using it to target and track them down.

Citizens should not be forced to comply to illegal abuse, searches and seizures by masked sociopaths (goons) who earned merit badges in the proud boys, oath keepers and lll%ers. ICE hunts humans.

ICE doesn’t value the law or deescalation techniques or public safety. They physically and mentally abuse (torture) law-abiding citizens — even children! And sometimes, ICE kills citizens for no legitimate reason. Imagine that. We know who ICE is — they are every right-wing white supremacist trump ever pandered to. They are inconsequential men whose only access to self-esteem and personal power is found precisely because they wear a mask. To equate them with any legitimate law enforcement operation is a false equivalency.

So the question is, do masks enable ICE’s brutality and lawlessness? I say yes, because the good guys don’t wear them to commit atrocities.

[leftstreet]

15. ICE isn't real law enforcement

They're fucking immigration agents

Weird how these talking point narratives are picking/choosing comparisons all of a sudden

Why don't ALL law enforcement rules apply to them? Normal cops surrender their weapons, get placed on leave, and submit to drug testing after they kill someone. They don't say "fucking bitch," smirk and walk away

[Bettie]

13. It is demoralizing

and disappointing.

And before someone gets on me about not supporting Democrats, I have NEVER voted for a Republican, I have voted in every election since I turned 18. Once, I voted for an independent for a local office that no Democrat was running for, but other than that, I have always voted exclusively for Democrats.

That doesn't mean that I haven't been disappointed in them.

Being disappointed in them isn't the same as "bashing"...it's saying that I KNOW we ca and should do better.

Right now is when I expect Democrats to be fighting for US, for the country we all live in....you know, the one that is being destroyed day by day because no one is willing to stand up to the Republican party, their shock troops, and the orange monster at the top of their hierarchy.

There are some who use harsh terms, who speak plainly about what we're facing, but there aren't enough who are willing to stand and say, in a loud and clear voice "THIS is not right and it shall not stand".

Since Citizens United, many of them seem to be muffled by the stacks of cash they only get if they do as they are told. Again: This doesn't mean I won't vote for Democrats or that I don't support the party, it means that giant piles of money almost always win over the millions of us who don't have enough money to matter, even if we combined everything we have, it wouldn't be enough.

And yet, I can't make myself not care. That's the worst part. I can't manage to avoid the news and pretend that everything is fine, because I fucking care.

It feels like I'm watching a murder and there is nothing I can do but witness the death.

Sorry for the tangent Cel.