Overview
- SB 627 makes on‑duty face coverings by law enforcement a crime, ties violations to loss of qualified immunity, and sets a $10,000 minimum penalty, with exemptions for medical masks and undercover work.
- The Justice Department sued in the Central District of California, arguing federal supremacy and officer safety, citing doxxing threats and a DHS-reported surge of more than 1,000% in attacks on agents.
- A joint stipulation approved in early December bars California from enforcing SB 627 and parts of SB 805 against federal officers until the court rules on a preliminary injunction, with a hearing set for January 12.
- Backers including Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez say concealed identities erode community trust and enable abuses, while police unions argue the law endangers officers and creates legal uncertainty.
- California’s actions are part of a wider split, with Los Angeles County’s local ban scheduled for mid‑January unless blocked, as Texas’s SB 8 compels broader local cooperation with ICE and other states shift migrant policies.