California lawmakers have passed a bill that prohibits federal law enforcement from wearing facial coverings, a practice seen used among immigration enforcement agents that critics say harms transparency and accountability.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Oct. 13 to sign or veto SB 627, which passed the California Legislature, according to a news release from California Sen. Scott Wiener, whose district includes San Francisco. Wiener is among the state lawmakers who introduced the bill known as the No Secret Police Act, describing the bill as a ban on “extreme masking.”

The Trump administration’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, in an interview with The Daily in June, said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers wear masks because they and their families have been doxed. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has described agents wearing masks as a matter of safety.

But proponents of the bill describe the practice as undermining accountability, and authors of SB 627 said that officers using facial coverings increase the risk of people impersonating law enforcement.

SB 627 makes it a crime for a law enforcement officer to wear a facial covering while performing their duties, according to the bill’s text, with some exceptions. The bill defines law enforcement officers as “any peace officer at the local or federal level, any person acting on behalf of a federal law enforcement agency, or any out-of-state officer,” according to the news release. According to the bill’s text, SB 627 requires any law enforcement agency operating in the state to maintain and publicly post a written policy limiting the use of facial coverings by July 1, 2026.

According to Weiner, the Bill Exempts:

• SWAT teams
• Approved undercover assignments
• Translucent or clear masks
• Motorcycle helmets
• Eyewear to protect against retinal weapons
• N95 medical or surgical mask
• Breathing apparatuses are necessary to protect against toxins, gas, and smoke
• Masks to protect against inclement weather
• Masks for underwater operations

“SB 627 is a vital step toward restoring public trust in law enforcement,” Hector Villagra of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Ed Fund said in a statement. “The routine use of facial coverings by officers not only undermines transparency — it increases the risk of impersonation and obstructs accountability.”

The Mexican-American Legal Defense and Ed Fund, headquartered in Los Angeles, was among the organizations sponsoring the bill, according to the news release.

“By establishing clear criminal penalties as well as a civil remedy and damages, this bill sends a powerful message about California’s commitment to democratic values,” Villagra said. “It protects residents from the fear and confusion caused by masked, unidentified individuals snatching people off our sidewalks, and it reins in a dangerous practice before it becomes normalized.”

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Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California bill that says federal officers can’t wear facial coverings passes
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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