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9h ago

California Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban Law Enforcement Face Coverings

Supporters frame the measure as a transparency safeguard after immigration raids with masked agents, with critics questioning its legal reach over federal officers and its potential impact on safety.

Federal agents guard outside of a federal building and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center on June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Demonstrations continue after a series of immigration raids began last Friday, June 6th. Tensions in the city remain high after the Trump administration called in the National Guard and the Marines against the wishes of city leaders. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
ICE at the Edward Roybal Federal Building. Anti-Ice protests continue in downtown Los Angeles on June 11, 2025.
The face covering donned by this officer outside a federal building and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in downtown Los Angeles on June 13 would be prohibited under new proposed legislation. 
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Overview

  • Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín filed SB 627, known as the No Secret Police Act, on June 16 to prohibit face coverings by state, local and federal officers in California.
  • The legislation mandates officers to display names or badge numbers on their uniforms and imposes a misdemeanor charge for noncompliance.
  • Exemptions in the bill cover SWAT teams, National Guard troops and officers wearing medical or wildfire-protection masks.
  • Advocates point to recent videos of masked officers during immigration raids and protests as evidence that the measure is needed to rebuild public trust.
  • Legal experts question whether California can enforce the ban on federal agents and law enforcement groups warn it could undermine officer safety.