California Gov. Newsom Defies Dictatorship, Signs Pioneering 'No Secret Police Act' Banning Masks for Law Enforcement
- Cloud 9 News
- Sep 20
- 2 min read
Los Angeles, CA – 20 September 2025 - In a direct challenge to President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement tactics, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the nation's first law prohibiting law enforcement officers, including federal agents like those from ICE, from wearing masks to conceal their identities during operations, effective January 1, 2026.The "No Secret Police Act" (SB 627), authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), targets what Newsom called a "new construct conceived to terrorize our diverse communities," referring to masked federal raids that have intensified since Trump's second term began.
Newsom, flanked by LA Mayor Karen Bass, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, and a coalition of immigrant rights advocates, signed the bill alongside four other immigration-related measures during a Saturday event in Los Angeles. "Hidden from accountability, any transparency, any oversight—that's Trump's America," Newsom declared, vowing California would resist federal overreach.The law requires officers to display their name or badge number clearly and mandates agencies to adopt and publicize mask policies by July 1, 2026, with criminal penalties for willful violations and civil remedies for abuses committed while masked.
Exemptions include riot gear, medical masks like N95s, undercover work, SWAT operations, and motorcycle helmets, but the ban broadly applies to local, federal, and out-of-state officers operating in California. Sponsored by groups like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the act responds to a surge in masked ICE raids, including incidents in Los Angeles where agents detained residents—some U.S. citizens—without warrants, following a Supreme Court ruling expanding racial profiling powers.
The signing drew immediate backlash from the Trump administration and law enforcement groups. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the bill "despicable," likening critics' rhetoric to the Gestapo and arguing masks protect agents from doxxing and threats amid a rise in assaults.U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a Trump appointee, declared the law has "no effect" on federal operations and referred Newsom's tweet—"Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today"—to the Secret Service as a potential threat against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The California State Sheriff's Association and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco opposed it, warning it endangers officers and prioritizes criminals.
Supporters, including Sen. Wiener, hailed it as a defense of democracy: "No one wants masked officers roaming their communities and kidnapping people with impunity." MALDEF's Hector Villagra added, "Masked abductions under government authority are a hallmark of authoritarian regimes, not republics." The bill, one of dozens nationwide addressing masked enforcement, tests state authority over federal agents and could spark legal battles.
Newsom also signed companion bills: one barring ICE from schools and hospitals without warrants; another requiring school notifications of agent presence; and measures enhancing immigrant rights amid Trump's promised mass deportations.
As one X user posted, "Newsom just dropped the hammer on Trump's masked goons—California leading the resistance again." Enforcement challenges loom, but advocates see it as a blueprint for other states.
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