A proposed California bill could make it a misdemeanor for local, state, and federal law enforcement officers to wear masks or any other personal disguise to conceal their identity while interacting with the public while on duty in the state.
The bill would also require officers to “be identifiable via their uniform, whether with name or other identifier.” SWAT teams and officials who wear medical masks while responding to wildfires would be exempt from the bill.
California State Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguin (D-Berkeley) introduced the bill, also known as the No Secret Police Act, on Monday.
The proposed legislation comes after days of protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The protests prompted President Donald Trump to deploy approximately 4,000 National Guard troops without the consent of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Later, about 700 active-duty Marines were sent to the region.
“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 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.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded to the proposed legislation on X, calling Weiner’s rhetoric comparing ICE to “secret police despicable.”
“While ICE officers are being assaulted by rioters, a sanctuary politician is trying to outlaw officers wearing masks to protect themselves from being doxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers,” the post said. “Not only is our ICE law enforcement facing a more than 400 percent increase in assaults, but we’ve also seen thugs launch websites to reveal ICE officers’ identities.”
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) also reacted to the bill on X, stating that it would endanger ICE agents.
“Do not forget—targeted attacks on ICE agents are up 413%. This is yet another shameless attempt to put them in harm’s way,” the post said.
It’s already illegal in California to wear a mask or other disguise to hide one’s identity while committing a crime.