California becomes first state to ban federal agents from wearing masks

OAKLAND, Calif. - California has become the first state in the nation to ban federal and local law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while on duty. 

It's a move that Governor Gavin Newsom says is meant to protect immigrants and ensure accountability that he said is long overdue. 

Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act on Saturday in Los Angeles, alongside state lawmakers, local officials and public school leaders. 

The new law, Senate Bill 627, prohibits most law enforcement officers, including those from ICE, from covering their faces while working in California. It also requires officers to be clearly identified by name and badge number.

"ICE, unmask. What are you afraid of?" Newsom said during the bill signing. "You're going to go out and do enforcement? Provide an ID. Tell us what agency you represent."

The governor said the law is a response to recent ICE operations in Los Angeles, where masked federal agents conducted mass arrests, sparking protests and prompting President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops to the area.

"It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie," Newsom said. "Unmarked cars. People in masks. People quite literally disappearing. No due process."

"Immigrants have rights and we have the right to stand up and push back. And that’s what we’re doing here today. This is a disgrace. This is an outrage," he added.

Newsom said 27% of California’s population is foreign-born, which is what makes this state unique.

The bill’s author, State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), said the legislation is meant to curb what he described as a campaign of intimidation and fear led by the Trump administration.

"Donald Trump has basically turned ICE, which he’s expanding dramatically, into a secret police force, to terrorize communities, particularly Latino communities," Wiener said.

Federal officials defend use of masks

Federal officials have defended the use of masks, arguing that ICE agents have increasingly been harassed and threatened while conducting enforcement actions. 

In a statement posted to X, Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a Trump appointee, said:

"The State of California has no jurisdiction over the federal government. If Newsom wants to regulate our agents, he must go through Congress. I’ve directed our federal agencies that the law signed today has no effect on our operations. Our agents will continue to protect their identities. When can we expect CA to pass a law banning Antifa members from wearing masks while committing state and federal crimes? I’ll wait…"

Wiener pushed back on that claim, citing legal support for the bill’s constitutionality.

"We disagree," Wiener said. "Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of UC Berkeley School of Law, one of the top constitutional law experts in the country, says otherwise. He said this is defensible, that we have the ability to do this."

The Department of Homeland Security is urging Governor Gavin Newsom to veto the No Secret Police Act, arguing that banning law enforcement from wearing protective face coverings endangers officers by exposing them to threats, doxing, and violence from dangerous criminals.

The law is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, but it is expected to face legal challenges before then.