By Vanguard Staff
In response to growing concern over secretive and unidentifiable law enforcement operations, California State Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley) have introduced legislation that would prohibit officers from covering their faces during operations and require clear identification at all times.
Senate Bill 627, known as the No Secret Police Act, targets local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel operating within California. The bill would ban the use of face coverings by law enforcement, with exceptions for SWAT operations, medically necessary face masks (such as N95s), and protective gear worn during wildfire emergencies.
The legislation comes amid what lawmakers describe as a troubling rise in secretive, masked federal raids in cities across California — including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Concord, Downey, and Montebello — since the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement efforts.
Senator Wiener, the bill’s principal author, cited recent federal operations in California that he said “created an environment of profound terror.”
“If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state,” Wiener said in a statement. “Law enforcement officers do critically important work to keep our communities safe, and they should be proud to show their faces and provide identifying information when doing so. It boosts trust in law enforcement, which makes it easier for law enforcement to do their jobs and makes California safer for all of us.”
Senator Arreguín emphasized the importance of transparency in maintaining public confidence.
“Our first responders are responsible for vital work in protecting our communities, and trust and accountability are key aspects in keeping our neighborhoods safe,” Arreguín said. “This bill will ensure that law enforcement are easily identifiable, maintaining that trust and accountability.”
The bill responds to growing alarm over instances where federal agents — often wearing unmarked uniforms or jackets labeled only “POLICE” — have conducted raids and arrests without showing badges or providing identifying information. In some instances outside California, masked agents reportedly apprehended individuals on public streets and transported them across state lines or to detention centers, including one referred to as a “gulag” in El Salvador.
Advocates for the bill argue that the lack of identification not only erodes public trust but opens the door to dangerous impersonations. In one recent case in Florida, a woman was arrested for allegedly posing as a masked ICE officer and kidnapping her ex-boyfriend’s wife.
SB 627 defines a law enforcement officer broadly, including any individual working on behalf of or under contract with a law enforcement agency. Violations of the bill would be classified as a misdemeanor offense.
The lawmakers say the measure is essential as the federal government increasingly pressures state and local agencies to assist in immigration enforcement.
SB 627 is currently pending in the state legislature.
