ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington County Board members expressed disappointment this week when county legal officials confirmed they have no authority over whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers wear masks while conducting local operations.
The newest board member, JD Spain Sr., expressed concern during a board meeting, questioning whether there are any repercussions for federal agents who wear masks or don’t wear uniforms while working in the county, which is located in Northern Virginia.
“The county is not able to regulate what federal officers are doing,” Ryan Samuel, the Deputy County Attorney, said. “Each individual agency can set their own standards for whether officers are plainclothes or masked. And so it’s up to each federal agency. There isn’t a general federal statute that governs it.”…