California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation banning federal law enforcement from wearing masks to protect their identity on the job.
A new California law banning federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty has left agents and their families fearing for their safety.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation into law on Sept. 20 that makes it a misdemeanor crime for local and federal law enforcement officers to wear face coverings on the job. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.
The legislation, Newsom said, is about saying “enough” to federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents.
“Unmask,” he said. “What are you afraid of?”
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has told federal law enforcement to ignore California’s law.
Federal agents have been wearing masks to protect their identities because they and their families fear being doxxed by activists.
Doxxing a federal agent by posting their personal information on social media or other channels is a felony.
The wife of a Border Patrol agent in California called the state law “disheartening.”
“It’s already a high-risk, dangerous job,” she said, speaking to The Epoch Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
“I agree with the [Trump] administration that these agents should be protected,” she said.
She said agents are labeled as Nazis and their children are bullied at school.
“Being called a Nazi is heartbreaking,” she said. “It’s not true.”
Children either “go home thinking their parent is this horrible person,” or they know it’s not true but are afraid to say anything about it at school, she said.
Meanwhile, teachers and school board officials calling for the abolishment of ICE and Border Patrol on social media aren’t helping to diffuse the situation, she said.
Protesters should stop blaming agents for doing their jobs and take their grievances to the politicians who create the policies, the wife said.
“This is a policy issue. It’s not an agent issue,” she said. “They’re making it personal, and it’s not personal.
“We see how groups like Antifa or protesters are making sure that they get pictures or videos and then they’re posting them online,” she said.
“We … have to protect our children first … and living like this right now, where our own governor is against us, is very scary. It’s frightening.”
By Brad Jones
