California lawmakers approved a bill on Thursday to bar law enforcement officers from wearing masks, said Democratic state Senator Scott Wiener, who wrote the bill.
Newsweek has contacted California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for comment by email outside regular business hours.
Why It Matters
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been thrust into the national spotlight, drawing heightened scrutiny amid the Trump administration’s aggressive push to deport millions of undocumented migrants. The agency has faced increased criticism for deploying agents in plain clothes and face coverings during its operations, a tactic officials say is necessary to protect agents and their families from threats.
A growing coalition of Democratic-led states is pushing legislation that would prohibit federal agents from wearing face coverings during immigration enforcement operations. As well as California, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have introduced bills that would require federal officers to display visible identification—with limited exceptions for safety or undercover purposes—as part of an effort to increase transparency and limit the agency’s expanded powers under the Trump administration.
What To Know
Democratic lawmakers, who control both houses of the California State Legislature, passed the legislation on Thursday.
It would apply to local and federal agencies, but questions have been raised about whether the state has the legal ability to regulate federal agents.
Supporters of the bill said the ban was even more urgent following the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to overturn a judge’s restraining order that prevented federal agents from stopping people based solely on their race, language, job or location—clearing the way for sweeping immigration operations.
“We have to stand up and say no to the secret police raining fear and intimidation on communities across California,” Wiener said in a statement on Thursday.
“Today’s passage of SB 627 sends a clear and unequivocal message: California will not tolerate secret police,” he added, referring to the legislation.
The legislation now goes to Newsom, whose support is not guaranteed.
In an interview in June with the Tennessee Holler, Newsom acknowledged that there were issues related to officers’ safety in certain circumstances that might require masks. He added, “But now, it’s universal masking.”
“We have a bill. We’re looking at the constitutionality of it, and it appears that we don’t have the legal authority for federal agents, but we do for other law enforcement authorities,” he said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a news briefing in Illinois last month that ICE agents were “always wearing something that identifies them, who they are and what operation they’re out on,” and that it was up to the agency’s leadership to decide on the use of masks, given particular circumstances, she said.
What People Are Saying
State Senator Scott Wiener said in a statement: “Law enforcement should never be easily confused with the guy in the ski mask robbing a liquor store, yet that’s what’s happening with ICE’s extreme masking. … This bill makes sure that when officers cover their faces, it is only for genuine health, safety, or tactical reasons—not to hide abuse or escape accountability.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a news briefing in Illinois on August 8: “They wear masks at times to protect their identities from dangerous situations. The leadership teams, we leave that up to them to discern what’s necessary in certain situations. … It’s making sure that they are safe while they do this job, and that they get home to their families at night too is incredibly important.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Newsom will sign or veto the bill.
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