• California lawmakers introduce a bill to ban masks for law enforcement officers.
• The proposed legislation aims to enhance accountability and public trust.
• Exceptions include SWAT teams and officers wearing medical masks in emergencies.
• Critics argue the legislation may endanger agents' identities and safety.
• The bill is part of a broader response to immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.

A pair of California state senators, Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín, have proposed a new state law that would prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while performing their duties. This legislation, known as the “No Secret Police Act,” aims to ensure that law enforcement is identifiable when interacting with the public, thus fostering trust and accountability, according to abcnews.

The bill comes in response to increasing concerns about the visibility of law enforcement during immigration raids, particularly those conducted by masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in California. Wiener stated, “If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state," highlighting the need for transparency, as reported by latimes and newsweek.

The proposed legislation would make it a misdemeanor for officers to cover their faces, although it allows exemptions for SWAT team members and officers during medical situations, like wildfires. The goal, according to Arreguín, is to eliminate public fear and suspicion towards law enforcement officials, a sentiment echoed across multiple sources highlighting how recent enforcement tactics have instilled a "profound terror" in communities, as discussed in articles from both latimes and abcnews.