California will be the first State to ban most law enforcement, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill signed by Governer Gavin on Saturday. The ban is California’s direct response to a recent series of immigration raids in Los Angeles where federal agents wore masks while making mass arrests. The raids prompted a dayslong protest across the city and led President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the area.
But it’s unclear how — or whether — the state can enforce the ban on the federal agents who have been carrying out those raids. A homeland security official called the legislation “despicable” in a statement this week, adding that the ban would only put officers in danger. The Department of Homeland Security said it had sent letters Friday to the attorneys general in California, Illinois and New York reinforcing previous instructions that the Democrat-led States honour detainers from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “criminal illegal aliens within their jurisdictions.”
DHS said in a statement Saturday that if the states failed to comply, it would pursue “all appropriate measures to end their inadvisable and irresponsible obstruction.” Newsom, a Democrat who has railed on federal agents’ use of masks during official business, said the measure will help California push back on federal overreach. He signed the bill in Los Angeles, flanked by state lawmakers and immigrant community members.