US Politics
California passes bill to stop ICE and other law enforcement from hiding faces
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California lawmakers have passed a bill to stop Immigration agents and other law enforcement from hiding their faces using masks.
Under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, the Department of Homeland Security has been carrying out ICE raids across the country, notably in major cities such as Los Angeles.
The tension between federal agents and Los Angeles residents reached a fever pitch in June when crowds of Angelenos took to the streets, protesting against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
One point of contention has been mask-wearing among federal agents to hide their identities, which the Trump administration says is meant to keep the officers safe.
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On Thursday, the Democratic-controlled California Legislature passed a bill that bans local and federal law enforcement from wearing neck gators, ski masks and other facial coverings while on duty. There are exceptions for undercover agents, medical masks and tactical gear.
“The idea that in California we would have law enforcement officers running around with ski masks is terrifying,” state Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat, told the Los Angeles Times. “It destroys confidence in law enforcement.”
The bill still needs to be signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, and it’s unclear whether California can even enforce this authority over federal officers.
CBS News’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez had asked Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons in a July interview for his response to the criticism that law enforcement, including ICE, should be identifying themselves and that wearing masks poses a danger. One claim critics have made, which Montoya-Galvez pointed out, was impostors pretending to be immigration agents.
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Lyons called that scenario “one of our biggest concerns,” adding, “I’m not a proponent of the masks; however, if that’s a tool that the men and women of ICE [use] to keep themselves and their families safe, then I’ll allow it.”
He also pushed back on criticism that officers don’t identify themselves.
Calling out the lawmakers who pushed for legislation banning masks, Lyons said, “I’d also want elected officials to help us hold those people accountable that do dox or threaten an ICE agent or their family.”
California lawmakers also passed a bill Thursday that requires on-duty officers not in uniform to display their agency and either a badge number or their name. There are also some exemptions for that new requirement.
