Local and federal agents, including immigration officials, may not wear masks while conducting official business

Local and federal agents, including immigration officials, may not wear masks while conducting official business

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 the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, 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 protests and led Donald Trump to deploy national guard troops and marines to the city.

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.

  • ProfThadBach@lemmy.world
    142·
    22 hours ago

    How is this going to be enforced? If the cops are not standing there arresting face covered ICE agents then this means nothingh.

    • p3n@lemmy.world
      121·
      14 hours ago

      If it is well known that it is illegal for law enforcement officers to wear masks, and there is an armed man wearing a mask who is threatening a group of people, it would be reasonable to assume they are not a law enforcement officer and a shooting could be justified in self-defense.

      Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.

    • lemmylump@lemmy.world
      31·
      10 hours ago

      The way I see it is if some fuck is wearing a mask and trying to arrest me, that’s not a cop, that’s a kidnapper and I’m not sticking around or I’m fighting back with lethal force.

      Cops don’t wear masks criminals do.