Cover up: Face-covered ICE agents and unruly protesters reignite debate over a NYC mask ban

"As masked individuals continue to participate in protests, sometimes leading to public disorder, and concerns rise over the anonymity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who don face coverings during operations near immigrant communities and courts, New Yorkers are at a crossroads on whether they want elected officials to pursue a full-on public mask ban. It has been a complex, years-long debate in both City Hall and Albany."

"Those passionate about the cause say the freedom to wear a mask in public pits concerns over public safety and crime prevention against the public health and civil liberty protections that emerged during the pandemic era. Historically, New York prohibited wearing masks in public with certain exceptions, a ban that remained largely in effect until it was suspended for public health reasons at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020."

"Over the next five years, masking regulations became dynamic, shifting from strict, universal mandates to targeted requirements in crowded settings lacking social distancing, before ultimately being rescinded, leaving no general mandate in place. But the recent uptick in ICE raids and unruly protests are forcing some New Yorkers to rethink the issue of masks. Barbara Reiss, of the Upper West Side, said some New Yorkers wear masks for health reasons."

New York faces renewed debate over a public mask ban as masked protestors and ICE agents wearing face coverings raise safety and anonymity concerns. Masking previously was mostly prohibited with exceptions until suspension for public health in 2020; mandates evolved from universal requirements to targeted policies and were later rescinded, leaving no general mandate. Rising ICE raids and unruly protests have prompted some residents to reconsider restrictions. Some individuals wear masks for health reasons while others use them to evade law enforcement during illegal acts. Calls for allowing security personnel to request face revealing in certain situations have emerged amid these tensions.

Read at www.amny.com