California Legislature Passes Bill Banning ICE Officers From Wearing Masks

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The bill makes the wearing of a mask while performing official duties a criminal misdemeanor, and imposes a minimum liability of $10,000 for certain acts.

WASHINGTONโ€”Both houses of the California Legislature have passed a bill that bans federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while performing their duties, with criminal penalties for noncompliance.

The bill, SB-627, bans any law enforcement officer or agent from wearing a โ€œfacial covering that conceals or obscures their facial identity in the performance of their duties,โ€ with a few exceptionsโ€”such as motorcycle helmets, facial coverings for โ€œSWATโ€ officers, and N-95 medical masks to protect against COVID-19.

Violations of the bill would be punishable by either a fine or the charge of a criminal misdemeanor.

In addition, the bill strips qualified immunity from law enforcement officers and agents who, while wearing a mask, commit โ€œassault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, abuse of process, or malicious prosecution,โ€ with a minimum penalty of $10,000 if they are found liable.

The billโ€™s provisions apply to federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel operating throughout California.

โ€œThe ICE masked secret police are raining terror on communities across California, and it has to stop. Law enforcement should never be easily confused with the guy in the ski mask robbing a liquor store, yet thatโ€™s whatโ€™s happening with ICEโ€™s extreme masking behavior,โ€ wrote state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat and the billโ€™s leading sponsor.

โ€œThey should be proud to show their faces and provide identifying information in the course of duty.โ€

Democratic Party officials, who largely oppose the Trump administrationโ€™s efforts to remove all illegal immigrants, have frequently criticized federal law enforcement officersโ€™ covering of their faces with masks, arguing that their actions prevent accountability and resemble the gangs they seek to apprehend.

The agencies have defended personnel masking, stating that it prevents personal harassment of themselves and their families by activists who disagree with the governmentโ€™s policies.

โ€œICE law enforcement officers wear masks to prevent doxing, which can (and has) placed them and their families at risk. All ICE law enforcement officers carry badges and credentials and will identify themselves when required for public safety or legal necessity,โ€ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wrote on its websiteโ€™s frequently asked questions webpage.

By Arjun Singh

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