The Department of Homeland Security is warning Portland’s anti-ICE protesters that a new ban on mask-wearing has gone into effect around federal facilities.
Many protesters have taken up the habit of hiding their identities behind neckerchiefs and other masks as they protest against President Donald Trump’s deportation policies. And many have used that anonymity to commit acts of violence and property damage. But the Trump administration has moved to put a dent in that obstructive concealment.
In the DHS notice, under “prohibited conduct,” 6 CFR Part 139 defines when it is illegal to conceal your identity in public: “Wearing a mask, hood, disguise, or device that conceals the identity of the wearer when attempting to avoid detection or identification while violating any federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.”
The new rules were set to take effect next January, but DHS pushed that timeline up to this month.
The department also announced new guidelines on addressing giving federal officers more authority to arrest and charge rioters.
“Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Protective Services (FPS) announced the accelerated implementation of the Regulations Governing Conduct on Federal Property. The new regulations provide FPS charging authority to correlate with DHS 40 U.S.C. §1315 enforcement authority and are an essential tool in addressing the recent surge in violence at DHS facilities,” the DHS Office of Public Affairs said in an email message on Wednesday.
The statement added that the early implementation of the rules means to “address a recent surge in security and public safety threats. Additionally, FPS has provided recommended updated collateral fee schedules to allow U.S. District Courts to set fines to reflect the serious nature of the prohibited conduct.”
The statement also notes that “A violation of 6 C.F.R. Part 139 is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable up to 30 days in jail, a fine up to $5000, or both.”
“DHS is using every tool possible to protect the lives of our law enforcement as they face a surge in violence and lawlessness at many of our federal facilities. We’ve seen rampant violence against law enforcement including our officers shot at, rammed by vehicles, assaulted and threatened,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we will not tolerate violence perpetuated by Antifa and other domestic extremists who are targeting federal property and law enforcement. Law and order will prevail.”
DHS also described a few attacks on federal facilities which included a domestic terrorist in September with “ANTI-ICE” inscribed on ammunition who opened fire on an ICE field office in an attack targeting ICE personnel. Two detainees were killed in the shooting.
Also, in July, a group of left-wing extremists coordinated an ambush on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. The attackers stormed the facility and used fireworks as weapons. As law enforcement responded, other attackers hiding nearby opened gunfire, shooting a police officer in the neck and wounding him.
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