California became the first state to bar federal immigration agents from wearing masks in pushback against the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown that centered on Los Angeles earlier this summer.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed S.B. 627, the “No Secret Police Act,” on Saturday banning the use of most face coverings by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, as well as local law enforcement agents, in an attempt to curb ICE activity in the state. The mandate will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Newsom also signed four more bills restraining ICE powers in California, including requiring law enforcement to publicly display their agency and name or badge number, blocking agents from entering schools and hospitals without a warrant, and requiring schools and higher education institutions to notify parents when ICE is on campus.
