The law, opposed by police organizations, was aimed by lawmakers at immigration agents and will test state powers over the conduct of federal officials.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law banning law enforcement from wearing masks on duty except for things like riot gear, medical masks and undercover work.
Saying it’s the first bill of its type in the country, Newsom — a Democrat and frequent critic of President Trump — said it was a sign of growing authoritarianism to have detentions in by masked men „hidden from accountability, any transparency, any oversight. That’s Trump’s America.“
He said federal agents had operated for years in the state unmasked and called masking „a new construct conceived to terrorize our diverse communities.“
The law, called by sponsors the „No Secret Police Act“, comes in response to increased immigration enforcement in California, particularly in Los Angeles. Newsom went to L.A. for the bill signing.
President Trump’s mass deportation program has led to scenes of masked federal agents detaining people off the streets, often without badges or indicating what agency they’re from. The city has been the scene of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.The impact of the law could be decided in court
The law takes effect next year. It’s unclear exactly what powers state lawmakers have to regulate the conduct of federal law enforcement. University of California, Davis law professor Raquel Aldana says California is trying to use this law to identify what federal agents can and cannot do within a state.
She said there has to be a line somewhere for states outlawing — as hypothetical extremes — things like murder or torture by federal agents.
