ICE AGENTS IN L.A. SPOTTED WEARING HALLOWEEN MASKS; DHS REJECTS CHICAGO PAUSE AS ENFORCEMENT SURGES

NBC News reports DHS brushed off a local account that immigration agents in Los Angeles wore Halloween masks during an apparent raid, amid a broader late-October enforcement push. Illinois’ governor asked DHS to pause arrests around Halloween after controversial Chicago actions, but Secretary Kristi Noem refused, citing public safety. DHS has highlighted sharp increases in assaults and threats against ICE officers as justification, though without raw numbers. The incident and timing add to political and safety tensions around federal immigration operations in major cities.