California lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that would prohibit most law enforcement officers from covering their faces while on duty, a move prompted by recent immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles that critics say relied on masked agents to hide their identities.
The bill, which now goes to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, would bar local and federal officers — including immigration agents — from wearing neck gaiters, ski masks and similar face coverings while carrying out official business. Exceptions in the legislation would allow undercover officers, medical masks such as N95 respirators and tactical gear.
Supporters said the bill was needed after the U.S. Supreme Court this week lifted limits on immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles, clearing the way for sweeping raids that critics say have targeted migrants and used tactics that generate fear in communities. Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, a Democrat who backed the measure, said the court decision “is effectively allowing federal agents to stop suspects based solely on their race, language, or job.”
“How is anyone supposed to reasonably believe that they are law enforcement officers and not masked individuals trying to kidnap you?” Carrillo said ahead of the vote.
Legal scholars and some bill proponents argued a state rule requiring officers to be unmasked poses limited conflict with federal authority. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, wrote in an opinion piece that while states cannot directly regulate the federal government, federal employees cannot simply ignore state rules unless compliance would significantly interfere with federal duties.
Critics, including Republican lawmakers and some law enforcement groups, said the measure would make officers more vulnerable in the field. State Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Republican, said opponents worry a mask ban would harm officer safety. “Bad guys wear masks because they don't want to get caught. Good guys wear masks because they don't want to get killed,” he said.
Trump administration officials have defended the use of face coverings by federal immigration agents, saying some agents have faced increased harassment in public and online. Several state attorneys general and immigrant-rights advocates countered that the presence of masked officers creates fear among immigrant communities and undermines trust in law enforcement.
Federal immigration enforcement operations in Southern California began in June and prompted local protests as well as a deployment of the National Guard and Marines to support federal efforts, according to local officials. Proponents of the California bill pointed to those operations and the Supreme Court action this week as central motivations for the new state restriction.
The bill is the first of its kind to pass a state legislature, though lawmakers in several other states have introduced similar measures, including in Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Democrats in Congress have also proposed a federal ban on face coverings for law enforcement.
Even if Gov. Newsom signs the measure, questions remain about the state's ability to enforce the restriction against federal officers who are carrying out immigration duties. Legal experts say the federal government generally prevails in conflicts between state and federal authority, and enforcement would likely prompt litigation.
Newsom has criticized some federal tactics used in recent arrests but has also acknowledged limits on state power over federal law enforcement. He has roughly a month to sign or veto the bill under California's legislative timeline.
If enacted, the law would take effect as part of a broader debate over how state and local governments should respond to federal immigration enforcement and how to balance public safety, officer protection and community trust.
