Utah Senator Mike Lee deleted a controversial X post comparing ICE agents to Mexican cartel hitmen after swift backlash from Democratic colleagues. The Republican senator shared an image of masked cartel members with the caption "Cartel hitmen wear masks. Leftists aren't complaining," attempting to criticize opposition to ICE agents wearing masks.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats quickly pointed out the logical flaw in Lee's argument, noting that if cartels wear masks, ICE shouldn't either. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy stated plainly that "the bad guys wear masks. The good guys don't." Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz added that ICE should maintain the same standards as local police departments, not criminal organizations.

This isn't Lee's first social media controversy. In June 2025, he deleted posts blaming liberals for the assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, including one that misspelled "Nightmare on Waltz Street" in an attempt to implicate Governor Tim Walz. MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell criticized Lee's prolific posting habits, noting he averages 100 tweets daily while serving as a U.S. senator. Despite deleting these inflammatory posts, Lee has never issued formal apologies for his remarks.