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"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert questioned whether "Stand Your Ground" laws put masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at risk of being shot during an interview with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., on Thursday.
As Democrats across the country continue to criticize the federal agency's use of masks and civilian clothing, the liberal host questioned whether officers are being put in danger in "Stand Your Ground" states like Florida.
Colbert said he was alarmed because, "it does feel like kidnapping, because, as you said, unmarked windowless vans will show up. Men will get out wearing masks… no identifying patches, do not identify themselves. They don't have badges."
"They grab people and put them in a van, in a state like Florida that has a ‘Stand Your Ground' law and people can open carry," he went on. "It’s dangerous for those officers, not just for the people, because why wouldn't you think that you were being attacked?"
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Frost agreed with Colbert's argument that masked federal agents are being put in danger in "Stand Your Ground" states like Florida.
Despite Colbert's claim, open carry is not legal in Florida. It is allowed under certain, limited circumstances, such as hunting or fishing. In February 2025, however, Governor Ron DeSantis urged the legislature to support open carry.
Earlier in the interview, Colbert asked Frost to clarify what he meant when he called the Trump administration's last round of deportations a "taxpayer-funded kidnapping operation."
The Florida congressman argued that the "mass deportations" promised by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign could hardly be classified as deportations due to a lack of legal due process for those being deported.
In a video shared by ICE, agents are seen enforcing a mass arrest in San Diego on May 29. (@ICEgov via X)
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"There is no legal process for people," he claimed. "We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities, hopping out of unmarked vans, stealing — and yes, kidnapping people. Not giving them their day in court and yes — human trafficking them to other nations, other countries around the entire world."
Frost also questioned why agents felt the need to conceal their identities in the first place.
"My other thing is, if you are proud of what you’re doing, why do you have to wear a mask to do it?" he asked. "If you are operating within the bounds of the law, you should not have to cover your face. That is the problem with ICE and with the administration right now is this whole thing is happening in the shadows."
Masked federal agents making deportation arrests has stirred unrest among many Democrats who have come out in protest of the practice. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
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Earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons slammed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on "Fox & Friends" for their "disgusting" rhetoric about agents masking up, which he felt put him and his officers in danger.
Wu compared ICE agents wearing masks to members of the neo-Nazi group the Nationalist Social Club-131 (NSC-131) during a press conference on June 5, amid government claims that ICE agents have faced a 413% increase in assaults. Jeffries has called for the identification of ICE agents who perpetrate "aggressive overreach."
