Masked ICE agents in action (File photo/AP)
California governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed a law prohibiting most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business. The state is the first in the US to enact such a ban, a direct response to the recent immigration raids in Los Angeles where masked federal agents made mass arrests. The raids triggered days of violent protests in June and led President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the city.Newsom, a Democrat and frequent Trump critic, framed the measure as a “defence” of California’s diversity, noting that 27 per cent of residents are foreign-born. “We celebrate that diversity. It’s what makes California great. It’s what makes America great. It is under assault,” he said, according to the Associated Press.The new rule bars officers from wearing coverings such as ski masks and neck gaiters, though exceptions exist for undercover work, medical masks, tactical gear, and state police. The law’s enforceability against federal agents remains unclear. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official called the legislation “despicable,” arguing it endangers officers. DHS has already warned California and other Democratic-led states that it would take “all appropriate measures” if they continue resisting federal immigration detainers.Newsom, a potential candidate for US presidency in 2028, asserted the law would help California push back against “federal overreach.”Trump administration officials have defended the use of face coverings, arguing that immigration agents face mounting harassment in public and online as they carry out the president’s mass deportation agenda. Masking their identities, they say, is necessary to protect both the officers and their families. Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted in a statement this week that federal agents are already required to identify themselves and wear vests marked with ICE or Homeland Security during operations.
