By Steve Neavling
In response to recent immigration raids by masked federal officers, two California lawmakers introduced a bill Monday that would bar law enforcement from concealing their faces while on duty.
The proposal, co-authored by state Sens. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Jesse Arreguín, D-Berkeley,, would make it a misdemeanor for local, state, or federal officers to cover their faces, with exceptions for SWAT teams and medical or safety reasons, the Los Angeles Times reports. It would also encourage officers to wear visible identification.
“We’re really at risk of having, effectively, secret police in this country,” Wiener said during a news conference in San Francisco. He likened the tactics to those of Stormtroopers in Star Wars, saying masked officers erode public trust and accountability.
During a news conference in San Francisco, Wiener criticized the Trump administration’s immigration tactics and said officers who conceal their identity are “almost like an occupying army, disconnected from the community.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security called the proposal “despicable” in a post on X, saying it would endanger ICE agents and “contribute to the surge in assaults” against officers.
Jason Salazar, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said in a statement that the group is in contact with Wiener.
“We will engage in discussions with him and his office to share our concerns so that we ensure the safety of law enforcement first responders is a top priority,” he said.
The bill is being introduced as an amendment to an unrelated housing measure, Senate Bill 627. It also includes a nonbinding clause stating the legislature’s intent to require officers to display their names on uniforms.
