Masked Individuals Identified as ICE Spark LA Backlash

In Los Angeles, activists photographed people they identified as ICE agents wearing Halloween masks—including Chucky and Momo—leaving the Terminal Island facility and during raids, prompting local alarm about the optics and conduct of federal officers. DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin responded tersely with “Happy Halloween!” and provided limited additional comment as critics raised safety and accountability concerns. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked ICE to pause operations in Chicago over Halloween to let families celebrate without fear. Separately, DHS touted a nationwide Halloween‑timed operation that it said removed violent convicted offenders from communities, naming several detainees and framing the arrests as public‑safety actions. The photographs and costume incidents spurred social‑media backlash and campus controversy—including a College Republicans member in Wisconsin photographed in an ICE costume—fueling debate over whether such imagery is distasteful or politically charged.