Editorial | ICE's attack on reporters is unacceptable and un-American | amNewYork

"We say this after one of our own journalists, Dean Moses, was manhandled by two masked ICE agents at the federal immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 30. Moses has been faithfully covering proceedings at the courthouse for months, where ICE agents have rounded up immigrants attending court-mandated hearings there. He and other photojournalists have come here because of the importance of telling the story of the ongoing immigration crackdown, the countless lives impacted, and the families torn asunder."

"Few people see firsthand the screams of anguish, the tears of children, and the stunning actions of ICE agents at Federal Plaza and it's our job to convey that to you, the reader. The way ICE carries out its mission is something never before seen in American law enforcement with agents wearing body armor and so much covering that you can only see their eyes in most cases. It's our job to convey that to you as well."

"By design, the way ICE agents mask up makes it impossible for anyone to identify who the arresting officers are and while ICE insists this is a method to protect their agents from doxxing, it also seems to double as a cloak for the anonymous agents to do whatever they want to anyone they see fit to attack. Moses witnessed this first hand on Tuesday when masked ICE agents roughly shoved and cursed at him as he went to photograph their arrest of an immigrant."

Dean Moses, police bureau chief for amNewYork, was manhandled by two masked ICE agents at the federal immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 30. Moses had been covering courthouse proceedings where ICE rounds up immigrants attending court-mandated hearings. Other photojournalists at the scene were shoved; one photographer fell, hit his head, and was briefly knocked unconscious. ICE agents at the plaza wear body armor and coverings that often expose only their eyes, preventing identification. ICE says masking protects agents from doxxing, but the anonymity also facilitates aggressive conduct. Many families affected by the immigration crackdown are documented in moments of anguish and tears.

Read at www.amny.com