California on Saturday became the first state to prohibit most law enforcement officers — including federal immigration agents — from covering their faces while carrying out official duties, a move Governor Gavin Newsom framed as a push for transparency after a summer of masked immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Two measures sit at the center of the effort: one requiring officers to be identifiable by name or badge number, and another — often described as the “No Secret Police” bill — that broadly bans face coverings intended to hide identity. Exceptions exist for bona fide undercover work and for safety gear not used to conceal who an officer is. “Masking discredits law enforcement,” said Jason P. Houser, a former chief of staff at Immigration and Customs Enforcement who backed the identification rules.
The package Newsom signed also erects new guardrails at schools and hospitals. Districts will have to notify families if immigration agents come on campus, and agents will need a court order to access classrooms or student records. Nonpublic areas of hospitals are off-limits to immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant, and patient immigration information is treated as protected medical data.
State officials cast the laws as a direct response to recent federal operations in Los Angeles, where agents wearing masks carried out mass arrests that triggered days of protest. The governor’s office says California is taking the lead in rebuilding trust with immigrant communities. Newsom, noting that more than a quarter of Californians were born abroad, said public safety relies on trust between officers and residents.
Federal officials have spoken out against the ban on masks. Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security told Newsom to veto the bill, saying that limiting facial coverings might put agents in risk and make it harder for the federal government to do its job. There may be legal challenges, but state lawmakers say the guidelines are meant to be clear and don’t get in the way of federal operations.
The new regulations come at a time when California and the White House are having a bigger fight over immigration enforcement. Earlier this month, state authorities spoke out against sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests over immigration sweeps. A federal judge later ruled that the deployment was against the law under the Posse Comitatus Act.
What takes effect now versus later will vary by bill. Several provisions — including the bans on identity-concealing masks and the identification requirement — begin immediately, while others will phase in as agencies issue guidance and train personnel. The new guidelines will require local government departments and federal entities that work in California to change their procedures. Supporters of immigrant communities said the law was long overdue.
Lawmakers from Latino and Asian American groups said the proposals will help people feel less afraid and keep schools and hospitals focused on education and treatment instead of arrests. Supporters also said that impersonation situations and operations that aren’t marked are grounds to need proper identification.
Opponents — including some federal officials and law-enforcement unions — warn the measures could hamper sensitive operations and increase risks to officers. Any court fight will test how far a state can go in setting conditions for law-enforcement conduct on its soil without crossing into prohibited interference with federal authority. For now, California’s message is unambiguous: no masks, clear names or badge numbers, and stronger safeguards around children and patients
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