Conservative radio host Ben Ferguson clashed with Democratic strategist Nomi Konst on Tuesday over whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents should be allowed to wear masks.
Despite a surge in attacks, Democrats have vigorously opposed ICE agents wearing masks, with Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Alex Padilla of California even introducing a bill on July 8 that would ban them during most enforcement operations. On “2WAY Tonight,” Konst argued that wearing masks was unjustifiable even in the face of attacks against agents and their families, but Ferguson refuted her claims.
WATCH:
“These ICE agents don’t even have the courage to show their faces or their names because they want to protect themselves from any sort of legal repercussions,” Konst said.
Ferguson said Konsts’ statement was “not true” and told an anecdote about an ICE agent friend to bolster his claim.
“[N]ot only has his home been attacked, they had to move out of the home and his children were doxed on the internet by groups that took pictures and then found where he lived and then put his four-, seven- and eleven-year-old children’s faces and connected to the wife’s social media, including the grandparents and said, ‘This is public enemy number one,’” he said.
Konst responded that she was against “any doxing of children.”
Host Mark Halperin told Konst to stipulate that Feguson’s statement was accurate and asked if that would merit ICE agents donning masks.
“No, I think that’s a convenient excuse, to be quite honest,” the Democratic strategist replied.
Halperin followed up by starting to ask Konst how she would feel if her uncle was an ICE agent who got doxed. She shook her head and interrupted Halperin to say it was part of the job.
“Would you say it to a soldier? Would you say that to a police officer? Police officers don’t cover their faces,” she added. “They don’t put their badge — they have IDs because they have a legal responsibility.”
Ferguson seemed aghast, exclaiming, “Wow” during her comments. He also refuted her assertion.
“That’s not true. SWAT [Special Weapons And Tactics] individuals do it all the time,” he said. “If you knew about law enforcement, you would know what you just said is not true. SWAT team members do this all the time and cover their faces, have for 30 years.”
Halperin sought to clarify Konst’s position.
“I know you said you didn’t support the doxing of kids. But let’s say it’s factually correct that agents who don’t wear masks might have their kids doxed and that it’s happened,” he said. “Would you still oppose their wearing masks?”
She answered that she still would before Halprin cut her off to ask if she would still assert doxing children is “part of the job.”
“Yes. Absolutely,” she said. “I think that this is a situation in which it is horrible when people are doxed.”
Halperin seemed baffled.
“I truly don’t understand this. Why is it a problem if they’re wearing masks?” he asked.
Konst deflected by asking why there is opposition to college students wearing masks.
“I’m asking you, if it’s factually true that law enforcement and sometimes their families are doxed if they don’t wear masks, you’d still oppose their wearing masks?” Halperin followed up.
Konst replied that she did not believe masks solve the problem of doxing. She asserted that the American Civil Liberties Union has struggled to find ICE agents accused of “pulling people up and off the streets” due to the masks.
However, Ferguson disputed this assertion as well, saying there is documentation of who is conducting immigration raids.
“No, that’s not true at all, Ben!” Konst exclaimed.
“I come from a law enforcement family. And this is the part that just makes me laugh about people that don’t understand law enforcement. Every single time my dad went on a raid, there is documentation beforehand and assignments of who is going to be there because you have to show up for work for the raid!” Ferguson fired back. “And then you get briefed on the raid! And then they tell you who’s in the car! You don’t just have 15 dudes show up and go, ‘Anybody want to go to work today?’ It doesn’t work that way! The court system every day goes back and they can see who was involved when there was an issue with law enforcement. And they know everyone that’s there and and they all get subpoenaed!”
Konst suggested law enforcement “malfeasance” can prevent this documentation.
“Come on. Like, this might be the weakest argument I’ve heard in a long time,” Ferguson said.
In addition to doxing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has also arrested multiple suspects accused of organizing a July 4 armed ambush attack on a Texas ICE facility and shooting a local police officer in the neck.
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
