‘Serious concern’: ICE agents who wear masks are driven by the threat of doxing, Pa. Sen. John Fetterman tells Fox News

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) on Sunday defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials who wear masks to obscure their faces, arguing that doxing is a “serious concern” for agents.

“The agents wearing masks, I think primarily that’s driven by people are going to dox those people. That’s a serious concern, too, absolutely,” Fetterman said in an interview with Jacqui Heinrich on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing..

A form of online vigilantism, doxing is when someone’s private or identifying information is publicized on the internet. It’s been used to identify extremists who participated in political rallies; target and threaten people perceived to have spoken ill of Charlie Kirk in the wake of his killing; or, recently in Philadelphia, misidentify the “Phillies Karen.”

An email to Fetterman’s office seeking additional comment about the senator’s stance on masked agents was not returned Sunday afternoon.

“They could target [ICE agents’] families and they are organizing these people to put their names out there. So don’t ever, ever dox people and target their families, too,” Fetterman said to Heinrich. (Heinrich is engaged to U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Bucks County Republican.)

Fetterman’s remarks come as congressional leaders argue over ICE funding in the wake of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent and Renée Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Last week, Senate Democrats attached a list of reforms to a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part. The proposal includes banning federal agents carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown from wearing masks, among other conditions.

Critics have argued the wearing of masks not only reduces accountability for ICE agents, but according to the FBI, has led to an increase in incidents where criminals have impersonated ICE officers to commit crimes.

» READ MORE: Philly lawmakers want to restrict cooperation with ICE and ban agents from wearing masks

Last Thursday, an overwhelming majority of Philadelphia’s City Council members signed on to sponsor a package of legislation that would restrict ICE operations within the city. The “ICE Out” proposals include prohibiting law enforcement officers from concealing their identities, like by wearing masks.

At the federal level, Trump’s White House struck a deal with Senate Democrats to temporarily fund DHS, but a partial government shutdown went into effect this weekend.

Fetterman — who called himself a “secure border Democrat” and supports efforts to “deport all criminal migrants” during the interview — has never backed a lapse in government funding since he took office in 2023.

» READ MORE: Why John Fetterman won’t shut the government down over ICE, even after calling for Kristi Noem’s ouster

He was among 23 Democrats to cross the aisle to vote for the compromise bill late Friday.