'No Secret Police': Lawmakers propose prohibiting masked agents [View all]
Source: USA Today
Updated June 20, 2025, 12:39 p.m. ET
Two California lawmakers are pushing legislation that would prevent law enforcement from covering their faces when making arrests in the state. The "No Secret Police Act," introduced by two Democrats in the California Senate, is a reaction to immigration sweeps across the country by masked agents in plainclothes, who are increasingly refusing to identify themselves by name or the agency they work for.
“The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror," Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said in a statement. "If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state."
A now-widespread protest movement against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement was ignited in Los Angeles in early June, when street protests turned violent. California lawmakers have been among President Donald Trump's most vocal opponents.
The bill, co-sponsored by Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley, would also require officers be identifiable by their uniform. It would exempt SWAT teams and permit the use of medical-grade masks and those used to protect workers during emergencies like wildfires. “This bill will ensure that law enforcement are easily identifiable, maintaining that trust and accountability," Arreguin said in a statement.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/20/lawmakers-propose-banning-ice-from-wearing-masks/84283979007/
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