California bans most law enforcement including ICE from wearing masks

The Governor of California has signed a bill to prohibit local and federal agents of the application of laws, in particular with American immigration and customs application (ICE), to wear facial masks in service.

The ban, which comes into force on January 1, 2026, is part of a series of bills which aims to protect residents from what Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom described as “secret police” to equalize the streets.

American lawyer Bill Essayli, appointed by Trump, said that California “had no competence on the federal government”, adding that the law has “no effect on our operations” and that the agents “will continue to protect their identities”.

The ban is in response to federal agents with masks during the immigration raids of Los Angeles.

The law makes exceptions for infiltration agents, the masks used to protect against diseases or forest fires and tactical equipment.

President Donald Trump increased the application of immigration as a priority in his second term.

In June, a series of federal immigration raids at the triggered violent demonstrations against the Trump administration and the ice.

Trump deployed 700 US navies and 4,000 national guard troops in the second largest city in the country in response to unrest.

The Senator of the State of California Scott Wiener, a democrat who represents San Francisco, wrote the bill in response.

“No one wants only masked officers travel their communities and kidnap people with impunity,” he said. “California will continue to defend the rule of law and fundamental freedoms.”

The legislation comes after the Supreme Court ruled that the judgments of the immigration application in Los Angeles could continue for the moment without the officers needing reasonable suspicion that a person may not be legally in the United States.

This decision allows agents to question and have people according to their race, language or work while a legal challenge to the recent immigration raids made their way before the courts.

In addition to the prohibition of facial covers, a new bill also obliges those responsible for the application of laws to identify while performing tasks by the name and the badge number.

Other bills signed by Newsom on Saturday prohibit school officials and employees to authorize federal agents leading to the application of immigration to enter the school sites without mandate, court order or judicial assignment.

Families must also be informed when the police arrive in the schools of their children.

Student information and classrooms are also protected by these new laws.

The non -public areas of hospitals and emergency rooms are also prohibited from officers who do not have judicial mandates or judicial orders.

“Immigrants have rights and we have the right to get up and repel,” said Newsom.

In a statement on Saturday, assistant secretary of the Ministry of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, described the new California’s new legislation as “despicable” and a “blatant attempt to endanger our officers”.

She said that ICE officers and other federal law enforcement organizations “have put their lives into play every day” to do their job.

“Make no mistake, this type of rhetoric contributes to the sharp increase in the aggressions of officers by their repeated dissemination and demonization.”

This is not the first time that local officials have disputed the White House.

In August, the mayor of Chicago signed an order detailing how the City will resist a potential repression of immigration threatened by the Trump administration.