State Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin just introduced a new bill that would ban law enforcement agents from being masked on the job, a move seemingly targeted at federal ICE agents who’ve been wearing gaiters while performing recent raids.
It’s an ironic turn that after years of anti-mask tantrums during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump supporters have suddenly become incredibly fond of masks. But this has nothing to do with public health or preventing the spread of illness, and everything to do with federal agents’ ability to harass anyone they suspect is an illegal immigrant. And the ICE agents conducting raids across California and the country have lately been wearing masks and neck gaiters to conceal their identities.
Pastor Tanya Lopez at Downey Memorial Christian Church captured this footage of presumably ICE agents arresting a man in her church parking lot. They have guns and masks and drive unmarked vehicles, making it hard to identify them a genuine law enforcement. #LosAngelesProtests pic.twitter.com/ne1j7zVjdF
— Los Angeles Patch (@LosAngelesPatch) June 12, 2025
State Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin have noticed, and KRON4 reports they’ve introduced legislation to ban law enforcement from wearing face coverings on the job. The proposed ban would apply to all law local, state, and federal law enforcement, and they are federal agents, it would also apply to ICE agents.
“The recent federal operations in California have 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 Monday press release. “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.”
“Our first responders are responsible for vital work in protecting our communities, and trust and accountability are key aspects in keeping our neighborhoods safe,” Arreguin added in the same press release. “This bill will ensure that law enforcement are easily identifiable, maintaining that trust and accountability.”
The bill is called SB 627, and has not yet been heard by any legislative committees. It does carve out exceptions for mask-wearing by SWAT teams, and any officers wearing medical masks during wildfire or natural disaster situations.
And as Wiener and Arreguin note, the mask-wearing by ICE agents also creates the opportunity for imposters to impersonate agents. As was reported in Panama City Beach, Florida earlier this year, one woman allegedly posed as a masked ICE agent and attempted to kidnap her ex-boyfriend’s romantic partner while she was masked and unidentifiable.
Related: ICE Raids on Farms Making Their Way Up to NorCal, Farmworkers Statewide Are Terrified [SFist
Image: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Federal agents guard outside of a federal building and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center on June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Demonstrations continue after a series of immigration raids began last Friday, June 6th. Tensions in the city remain high after the Trump administration called in the National Guard and the Marines against the wishes of city leaders. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
