On a recent Saturday in Sacramento, California Governor Gavin Newsom stood before a crowd of lawmakers, immigrant rights advocates, and educators to sign what he described as a landmark piece of legislation: Senate Bill 627, known as the "No Secret Police Act." With this, California became the first state in the nation to ban most law enforcement officers—including federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents—from wearing face masks or other coverings that obscure their identities while on official duty.
The new law, which takes effect January 1, 2026, was born out of outrage following a series of high-profile immigration raids in Los Angeles earlier in the year. During those raids, federal agents—faces hidden behind ski masks and balaclavas—swept through local neighborhoods, detaining dozens of people. The images, which quickly went viral, sparked days of protest and a swift, forceful response from the federal government. President Donald Trump, making immigration enforcement a top priority in his second term, deployed 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in the wake of the unrest, according to BBC and Newsmax.
Governor Newsom, pen in hand, made his stance clear as he addressed the crowd: "We celebrate diversity. It's what makes California great. It's what makes America great. It is under assault," he declared, referencing the state's unique demographic makeup, where more than a quarter of residents are foreign-born. For Newsom and his supporters, the sight of masked officers detaining people without clear identification conjured memories of authoritarian regimes and a sense of lawlessness. "America should never be a country where masked 'secret police' grab people off the streets and throw them into unmarked vans," Newsom wrote in his letter to the Legislature, as cited by the Sacramento Bee.
Senate Bill 627, authored by State Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, makes it a crime for law enforcement officers employed by cities, counties, or local agencies—as well as federal and out-of-state officers operating in California—to conceal their faces during official duties, except in narrowly defined circumstances. "No one wants masked officers roaming their communities and kidnapping people with impunity," Wiener said, according to BBC. The law provides exceptions for undercover operations, medical masks such as N95 respirators, tactical gear for SWAT operations, motorcycle helmets, and other safety equipment required by occupational or environmental hazards. State police are also exempt from the new requirements.
By July 1, 2026, all law enforcement agencies working in California must adopt and publicly post written policies regulating the use of facial coverings. These policies are required to reflect the values of transparency and accountability, limit mask use to specific and clearly defined situations, and prohibit masking based on generalized officer safety concerns. Violations may be punished as infractions or misdemeanors. Officers who violate the statute while committing civil rights offenses—such as assault, false arrest, or false imprisonment—face civil damages of at least $10,000.
The mask ban is just one part of a broader legislative package signed by Newsom that aims to protect immigrants and promote transparency. Other bills require law enforcement officers to identify themselves by name and badge number while conducting official duties. ICE agents are now barred from entering school campuses and restricted health facility areas without a judicial warrant, court order, or subpoena. Schools and higher education institutions must notify their communities when ICE agents are present, and student information and classrooms are protected under these new laws. Non-public areas of hospitals and emergency rooms are also off-limits to officers who do not have judicial warrants or court orders.
Supporters of the law, including civil rights groups like MALDEF, the Prosecutors Alliance Action, and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, praised the measure as a bold step toward accountability. Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of Prosecutors Alliance Action, called it "a victory for transparency, accountability, and community trust." California officials argue that masked immigration raids have eroded trust, traumatized families, and, in some cases, endangered public safety. They point to reports of individuals in other states impersonating federal agents while masked, which underscores the risks of allowing law enforcement officers to conceal their identities.
Yet, the move has drawn sharp criticism from federal officials. Bill Essayli, acting U.S. attorney for Southern California, insisted that California "does not have jurisdiction over the federal government" and reassured agencies that "the mask ban has no effect on their operations." Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin echoed these concerns, calling the law "a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers." She argued that face coverings are necessary to shield federal officers—especially ICE agents—from harassment, doxing, and even physical assault. "While our federal law enforcement officers are being assaulted by rioters and having rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at them, a sanctuary politician is trying to outlaw officers wearing masks to protect themselves from being doxxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers," McLaughlin wrote in an official statement cited by ABC News. She further warned that "this type of rhetoric is contributing to the surge in assaults of officers through their repeated vilification and demonization."
Governor Newsom, however, pushed back against these claims, insisting that data on increased assaults against officers was lacking. "There's an assertion that somehow there is an exponential increase in assaults on officers, but they will not provide the data," he said. "All they have provided is misinformation and misdirection."
Legal experts agree that the law sets the stage for a high-stakes court battle over states' rights and the supremacy of federal law. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, noted in the Sacramento Bee that while federal employees generally must follow state laws, exceptions exist if such laws "significantly interfere" with federal duties. "For example, while on the job, federal employees must stop at red lights," Chemerinsky wrote, suggesting that compliance is expected unless it would disrupt critical operations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, publicly called on Governor Newsom to veto the law, warning it could undermine federal law enforcement operations in the state.
California's mask ban is part of a much larger strategy. Earlier in the year, the Legislature authorized $50 million for the state Department of Justice and legal aid organizations, resulting in more than 40 lawsuits against the Trump administration, covering everything from sanctuary policies to the treatment of detainees. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi put it plainly: "Students cannot learn if they live in fear of being deported. The California Safe Haven Schools Act is a clear message to Donald Trump: 'keep ICE out of our schools.'"
As the legal dust settles and both sides prepare for what is likely to be a protracted court fight, one thing is clear: California's decision to outlaw most law enforcement masks is as much about asserting state values as it is about public safety. The law draws a bold line between transparency and security, all under the glaring spotlight of America's ongoing immigration debate. With both state and federal officials digging in their heels, the nation now watches as California tests the limits of state authority—and the country's willingness to confront its deepest anxieties about safety, identity, and belonging.
