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13h ago

California Proposes 'No Secret Police Act' to Ban Face Coverings for Officers

Masking on duty becomes a misdemeanor offense under the bill, drawing federal warnings over risks to ICE agents.

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

  • State Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin introduced SB 627 on June 16 to prohibit local, state and federal officers from covering their faces while on duty.
  • The measure would make face coverings a misdemeanor punishable by fine or jail time, with exemptions for SWAT teams, medical masks and disaster response situations.
  • Supporters argue the bill will restore transparency and public trust after videos showed masked ICE and other federal officers conducting immigration raids in California.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has branded the proposal “despicable,” warning it could expose ICE agents to retaliation and undermine officer safety.
  • Legal scholars say enforcing a state mask ban on federal law enforcement may face constitutional hurdles and practical enforcement challenges.