California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act (SB 672) on Sept. 20, which bans federal and local law enforcement from wearing ‘extreme masks.’ The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
The No Secret Police Act, authored and proposed by Senator Scott Wiener, aims to directly undermine “ICE’s secret police tactics”, as described by Sen. Wiener. The Senator argued against the fear tactics perpetuated by Immigration forces currently all over the country.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has been criticized in their tactics of detainment since President Donald Trump took office. with issues regarding enforcement identifying themselves, not giving people due process and employing scare tactics. Gavin Newsome expresses his concerns, saying, “Unmarked cars. People in masks. People quite literally disappearing. No due process. No rights… Immigrants have rights.”
The creation of the No Secret Police Act comes after months of Immigration raids on California and America as a whole, which have been met with widespread protest and dissent. Americans have flocked to different methods of combating ICE. People have used apps like ICEBlock and Coqui which allow anonymous reports and tracking of ICE presence. This method may be under risk, though—as of Oct. 2, Apple has said it is removing ICEBlock from the App Store.
The issue being addressed by California lawmakers deals with ICE officials wearing masks. The No Secret Police Act prohibits law enforcement, both local and federal, from wearing ‘extreme masks’, like ski masks, which hide one’s identity. The Department of Homeland Security demanded Governor Newsom veto the bill, but Newsom did not comply, and the law is set to take effect at the beginning of the new year.
Currently, the Trump administration says ICE will not comply with the law, and that California lacks the authority to enforce such a thing. Disputes over the law are likely to be taken to court, along with sanctuary policies and other systems used to protect immigrants in America.
Due to California’s steps against ICE, other states have introduced similar legislation, including Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. The move from California lawmakers may set off a chain reaction across the country as people push back against ICE’s tactics. Whether these laws will hold up, or if states have the authority to enforce no-mask laws like California is attempting, has yet to be seen.
