News: California wants to ban face coverings for ICE agents and cops - The No Secret Police Act - SB 627 - California would become the first state to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their faces. (Politics)

https://sfstandard.com/2025/06/16/california-donald-trump-ice-face-covering-masks-n95-doxxing/ California could soon tick off one more box on its long and expanding list of anti-Trump stances: becoming the first state to clamp down on federal agents and police concealing their identities. Introduced days after hundreds of thousands of Golden State residents marched in protest of President Donald Trump’s second term, new legislation would prohibit law enforcement officers who operate in California from wearing face coverings. The No Secret Police Act, introduced Monday by state Sen. Scott Wiener, comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other law enforcement officials have been seen in recent weeks covering their faces during immigration raids and at anti-Trump protests. Democrats have criticized the practice, arguing that it decreases transparency as Trump ramps up his use of federal law enforcement to achieve his hard-line immigration policies. Republicans say masks help prevent authorities from being targeted or doxxed, which is when an individual’s home address or other information is shared online. “The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror,” said Wiener, who is introducing the bill with state Sen. Jesse Arreguín. “If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state.” Wiener said law enforcement should be “proud to show their faces,” and doing so will increase trust in public-safety officials. SB 627 would also require officials to be identifiable through uniforms or other means.