California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act (Senate Bill 627) on September 20, making it illegal for federal and local law enforcement officers to conceal their faces with ski masks, balaclavas, neck gaiters, and similar face coverings while conducting official business. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.
The legislation was authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) in direct response to masked federal immigration raids that occurred in Los Angeles earlier this year. These operations, conducted as part of President Trump’s mass deportation program, featured agents in unmarked vehicles wearing face coverings that completely obscured their identities while making arrests.
“The impact of these policies, all across this city, our state and nation, are terrifying,” Newsom said during the bill signing ceremony in Los Angeles. “It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie — unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing, no due process, no rights in a democracy where we have rights. Immigrants have rights. And we have the right to stand up and push back.”
The raids sparked widespread protests and prompted Trump to deploy 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
The No Secret Police Act defines law enforcement broadly to include local, federal, and out-of-state officers, as well as anyone acting on behalf of a federal law enforcement agency. However, the law includes several specific exemptions:
- SWAT teams during tactical operations
- Approved undercover assignments
- Translucent or clear masks
- Motorcycle helmets
- N95 medical or surgical masks
- Breathing apparatus for protection against toxins, gas, and smoke
- Masks for protection against inclement weather
- Masks for underwater operations
- Eyewear to protect against retinal weapons
The law establishes both criminal and civil penalties for violations. A willful and knowing violation can result in either an infraction or misdemeanor charge. However, these criminal penalties do not apply to officers whose agencies maintain facial masking policies that meet the robust standards set by the legislation.
Civil penalties apply specifically to officers who commit assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, abuse of process, or malicious prosecution while willfully covering their face in violation of the masking prohibition.
The Trump administration has flatly rejected California’s authority to regulate federal law enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement declaring: “To be clear: We will NOT comply with Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional mask ban”.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California told federal agents to ignore the law, stating: “The State of California has no jurisdiction to regulate anything that we do in the federal government and I’ve instructed our agents to disregard it”.
DHS officials defend the use of masks by claiming ICE officers face “a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them” and that masks protect agents from being “doxxed and targeted by vicious criminals, including gang members, terrorists, cartel members, and murderers.”
ICE does not publicly release comprehensive assault statistics, making it impossible to independently verify the baseline numbers or methodology used to calculate these percentages. In June 2025, DHS initially reported a “500% increase in assaults against them”, which later evolved to claims of a “413 percent increase” before reaching the current “1000% increase” figure.
The No Secret Police Act comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration in the case of Perdomo v. Noem, allowing ICE to continue immigration operations in Los Angeles. The 6-3 decision permits agents to stop and detain individuals based on factors including race, language spoken, and occupation while broader legal challenges proceed through the courts.
Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act alongside four additional bills restricting ICE operations in California. These measures require law enforcement officers to publicly display their agency and name or badge number, block agents from entering schools and hospitals without warrants, and mandate that educational institutions notify parents when ICE agents appear on campus.
The California law has inspired similar proposals across the country. Dozens of bills have been introduced at the federal level and in states including Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and San Jose are also considering comparable measures.
