California prohibits most law enforcement authorities, including ice from wearing masks

California governor has signed a bill to ban local and federal law enforcement officers, including US immigration and customs implementation (ICE), from wearing face masks while on duty.

The ban, which comes into force on January 1, 2026, is part of a series of bills aimed at protecting residents from what democratic governor Gavin News called “secret police” walking around the streets.

The US lawyer Bill Esayli, appointed to Trump, said California “has no jurisdiction over the federal government”, adding that the law has “no effect on our operations” and the agents “would continue to defend their identities.”

The ban is in response to federal agents wearing masks during immigration attacks in Los Angeles.

The law makes exceptions to undercover agents, masks used to protect against disease or fires and tactical facilities.

President Donald Trump has strengthened the application of immigration as a priority in his second term.

In June, a series of federal immigration raids in LA caused violent protests against the Trump and Ice administration.

Trump deployed 700 US Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops in the country’s second largest city in response to unrest.

State Senator California Scott Wiener, a Democrat who represents San Francisco, wrote the bill in response.

“Nobody wants masked officers to tour their communities and abduct people with impunity,” he said. “California will continue to defend the rule of law and for fundamental freedoms.”

The legislation comes after the Supreme Court ruled that the implementation of immigration stops at LA, can continue for the moment, without employees who need a reasonable suspicion that a person may not be legally in the US.

This decision allows employees to question and retain people based solely on their race, language or work, while a legal challenge to the latter immigration raids is making their way through the courts.

In addition to the prohibition of the person’s cover, a new bill also requires law enforcement officers to be identified while performing duties both by name and with a badge number.

Other bills signed by Newsom on Saturday, prohibit school employees and employees from allowing federal agents to implement immigration to enter school sites without an order, court order or court summons.

Families will also need to be informed when employees arrive at their children’s schools.

Information about students and classrooms are also protected under these new laws.

The non -public regions of hospitals and emergency divisions are also outside the boundaries of employees who have no court orders or court orders.

“Immigrants have rights and we have the right to stand up and press ourselves,” Newsom said.

In a statement on Saturday, the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Security, Trisha McLaughlin, called the new legislation in California “contemptuous” and “a clear attempt to endanger our officers”.

She said the ICE officers and other federal law enforcement agencies “put their lives on line every day” to do their job.

“Do not be fooled, this type of rhetoric contributes to the increase in the attacks of officers through their repeated compensation and demonization.”

This is not the first time local officials have challenged the White House.

In August, Chicago Mayor signed an order Details of how the city will resist a potential immigration repression threatened by the Trump administration.