Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin expressed support on Wednesday for bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing penalties for protesters who disclose the identities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel. This follows incidents where ICE officers have been doxxed during immigration enforcement operations, including a recent threat made against an officer and his family in New Jersey.
Mullin suggested that if federal officers are not allowed to wear masks in certain areas, then penalties for doxing should be heightened. He stated, "If they dox them, they threaten them in any way whatsoever, it should be a very stiff penalty to get all their attention. And then those that are funding the protest should also be held accountable the same way."
The individual who threatened the ICE officer was identified as Nicholas Matthew Scelfo, a 27-year-old from Brooklyn, who has been charged with threatening to assault and murder an ICE officer and his family, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Mullin emphasized the seriousness of the threats and mentioned the department's capability to track down individuals who dox officers on social media. His comments followed a suggestion by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) for a bill to enhance penalties for doxing and threatening federal officers, which received mixed reactions during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing.
While no federal law currently prohibits ICE officers from wearing masks, there are state laws in various blue states that restrict this practice. The federal government is contesting a mask ban in New Jersey, and a federal judge has blocked enforcement of California's mask ban.
