A federal district court in Los Angeles ruled that California can prohibit masked ICE agents, as long as the law is revised to include law enforcement officers at all levels of government.
A federal judge questioned the Trump administration’s effort to block a California law banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty, suggesting that the law is necessary to protect public safety and prevent confusion.
Prosecutors Alliance Action has filed an amicus brief in support of California’s No Secret Police Act, arguing that the federal challenge to the law should fail because it undermines public trust, weakens prosecutions and threatens public safety.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has called on Governor Gavin Newsom to veto the No Secret Police Act, SB 627, which bans federal and local law enforcement, including ICE, from wearing ski masks and other forms of extreme masking, while Senator Scott Wiener has issued a strong statement in support of the bill.
The California Legislature has passed the No Secret Police Act (SB 627), which prohibits law enforcement from concealing their faces with extreme masking, and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.