June 8, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Protesters gather near Union Station and the Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. Clashes between law enforcement and protesters intensified on Sunday as California National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles to quell demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, a move that the state's Democratic governor has called unlawful. Mangatory Credit: Trevor Hughes-USA TODAY Network via Imagn
Washington D.C. – A California bill aimed at banning law enforcement officers from covering their faces in public encounters has drawn swift and forceful condemnation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, signaling a deepening clash over transparency, public safety, and immigration enforcement.
Unveiled by State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Senator Jesse Arreguin (D-Berkeley), the legislation — titled the No Secret Police Act — would require local, state, and federal law enforcement agents to display identifying information and refrain from concealing their faces during interactions with the public, with limited exceptions. Supporters say the bill responds to growing concerns over the proliferation of masked officers — some wearing military-style gear — appearing at public protests and enforcement actions without clear identification.
But the Department of Homeland Security responded with a sharply worded statement on Monday, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to accuse Wiener of endangering federal officers. “While ICE officers are being assaulted by rioters, a sanctuary politician is trying to outlaw officers wearing masks to protect themselves from being doxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers,” DHS wrote, calling Wiener’s comparison of masked officers to “secret police” rhetoric “despicable.”
DHS cited what it describes as a 400% rise in assaults against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and an uptick in doxing — the online publication of personal information — aimed at ICE personnel. The agency vowed to prosecute offenders “to the fullest extent of the law,” framing mask-wearing as a matter of officer safety, not secrecy.
Wiener, in contrast, argues the bill is a corrective to what he sees as an erosion of public trust. “We’re seeing the rise of secret police — masked, no identifying info, even wearing army fatigues — grabbing & disappearing people,” he wrote in a post announcing the legislation. “It’s antithetical to democracy & harms communities.”
The bill comes is happening during a broader debate about the visual anonymity of law enforcement during politically sensitive or high-risk operations. In California, civil rights advocates say recent protests have been marred by unmarked vans, masked arrests, and confusion over whether those making arrests were legitimate agents or impersonators — a distinction critics say underscores the need for clearer identification protocols.
Neither side appears ready to cede ground.
