KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In early August, Kalamazoo’s Police Chief quietly ordered the city’s multi-agency task force, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), to ditch face coverings in many situations, responding to mounting public concerns over transparency – even as they participate in undercover operations.
KVET is a drug enforcement task force comprised of police officers from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS), Portage Police Department, Kalamazoo Valley Community College Police Department, and the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office.
Move aims to balance officer safety with public trust, says police chief.
MORE NEWS: Whitmer Administration Pauses I-375 Project
The face covering change, effective August 5, 2025, came after some residents voiced discomfort that masked officers looked less like community protectors and more like federal immigration agents on a sting operation.
Kalamazoo Police Chief David Boysen released a statement about the change saying the purpose was to “maximize the safety of police personnel while assigned to undercover investigations and minimize citizen fears of masked persons.” Chief Boysen added, “We may revisit this decision in the future, depending on changing circumstances, but at this time I believe this is the right step to avoid contributing further to public fear or uncertainty.”
The police chief emphasized in his statement that officers aren’t permitted to wear face coverings during initial contact with suspects or while executing a search warrant and that they can only be worn after a scene is secured, and only by officers working in an undercover capacity. Officers were also instructed to minimize their presence in public while masked.
The broader Michigan debate.
The Kalamazoo shift comes as Lansing wrestles with a far more sweeping proposal. Michigan Democrats, led by Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), recently introduced legislation that would ban law enforcement officers – including federal agencies like ICE– from wearing face coverings in public and require visible ID. Violations could carry fines of up to $1,000 and jail time. Supporters argue the bill promotes accountability and prevents the kind of anonymous enforcement tactics they say undermine public trust.
Other Michigan Democrats are on board with proposals banning ICE from wearing face coverings including Michigan U.S. Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin and Senator Gary Peters who co- sponsored the VISIBLE Act to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions.
Additionally, Michigan Democratic AG Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general and sent a letter to members of Congress, urging them to pass legislation generally prohibiting federal immigration agents from wearing masks to conceal their identity and requiring them to show their ID and agency-identifying insignia.
MORE NEWS: Prison Health Tab: Lawmakers Weigh Ending Inmate Medical Co-Pays
However, some Democrats outside Michigan aren’t convinced that Coffia’s bill is legal including California Gov. Gavin Newsom who has publicly stated such blanket bans on federal officers would likely violate federal law.
Republicans push back.
Republican lawmakers have labeled Coffia’s proposal a direct attack on law enforcement. They argue that in an era of doxxing, harassment, and targeted violence, forcing officers to reveal their identities unnecessarily increases the risks they face.
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall quickly moved Coffia’s bill into committee, effectively halting its progress. GOP leaders have also tied the measure to broader political disputes over police funding, accusing Democrats of sending mixed messages by calling for more transparency while cutting law enforcement budgets.
Not just a Michigan issue.
At all levels, Democratic lawmakers are pushing legislation to ban local and federal officers from wearing masks. But as efforts intensify to arrest and deport dangerous illegal immigrant criminals – including murderers, traffickers, and pedophiles – the job of ICE and their law enforcement partners is becoming increasingly dangerous. And with some activist Democrats and their followers using apps and social media to track ICE in real time, the job now feels less like enforcing the law and more like being the prey in a political manhunt.
