Latest news with #SB627
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
ICE Agents Could Be Banned From Wearing Masks Under New Proposal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California lawmakers are looking to stop local police officers and federal agents from wearing face masks or coverings while carrying out operations in the state. A move a leading Republican told Newsweek was made just to "score political brownie-points." The "No Secret Police Act" was introduced by Democrats in the state's Senate on Monday, following criticism that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were trying to hide their identities while carrying out raids in Los Angeles. "The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state," state Senator Scott Wiener said in a press release. Why It Matters There has been growing criticism of ICE in recent months for allowing its agents to carry out targeted enforcement operations in plain clothes and face coverings. ICE officials argue that the masks are crucial to protect the identities of agents and their families from death threats. The agency is facing increased scrutiny as President Donald Trump directs his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status. Federal agents in Portland, Oregon, on June 28, 2018. Federal agents in Portland, Oregon, on June 28, 2018. Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa via AP Images What To Know Democratic state Senators Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Jesse Arreguin of Oakland announced Monday that they will introduce SB 627, a bill that would prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from concealing their faces during interactions with the public. The lawmakers said the bill would include exemptions for SWAT teams and officers wearing medical masks during natural disasters like wildfires. Transparent riot gear would also be allowed, as it does not obscure the face. Law enforcement officers who conceal their faces while performing official duties could be charged with a misdemeanor under the new proposal. "Our first responders are responsible for vital work in protecting our communities, and trust and accountability are a key aspects in keeping our neighborhoods safe," Arreguín said. Across the aisle, California Republicans criticized the proposal, accusing their colleagues of attempting to "legislatively dox" ICE agents. "At a time when federal agents are literally under attack in our state, California's leaders should be rallying behind law enforcement, not seeking to score political brownie-points by putting them and their families at risk with legislation to publicly expose their identities," Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones told Newsweek. The legislation comes amid growing resistance in California to Trump's plans to carry out what he describes as the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. What People Are Saying? California Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones, a Republican, told Newsweek: "This bill is nothing more than an attempt to legislatively dox our law enforcement officers. In the name of liberal virtue signaling and pandering to his progressive base, Senator Wiener has introduced a bill that endangers the very men and women who've committed their lives to keeping us safe. "Thankfully, this bill has zero chance of being enforced as the California Legislature has no authority to impose requirements on federal officers, but the mere suggestion of such a dangerous policy is another disappointing sign of the left's distain for law and order in California." State Senator Scott Wiener said in a press release: "Law enforcement officers do critically important work to keep our communities safe, and they should be proud to show their faces and provide identifying information when doing so. It boosts trust in law enforcement, which makes it easier for law enforcement to do their jobs and makes California safer for all of us." State Senator Jesse Arreguín said in a statement. "This bill will ensure that law enforcement are easily identifiable, maintaining that trust and accountability." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS: "It's for the safety of those individuals or the work that they're doing as far as protecting their identity so they can continue to do investigative work." What Happens Next? The bill is likely to pass in a Democratic-controlled legislature in the state of California.
Axios
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
California bill takes aim at Trump's masked ICE raids
California is challenging President Trump's masked immigration raids with a bill banning law enforcement officers from operating anonymously. Why it matters: The proposal responds to a surge in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps amid the federal administration's aggressive deportation push. State of play: SB 627, introduced by state Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguín (D- Oakland) on Monday, would require local, state and federal officers in California to reveal their identities — via nametags, badge numbers or other visible markers — and prohibit face coverings. What they're saying: "They're grabbing people off of our streets and disappearing people and it is terrifying," Wiener said at a Monday press briefing. "This law is really rooted in two principles: to protect the safety of California's communities and ensure that there's transparency and accountability for law enforcement," added Arreguín. Between the lines: The bill follows reports of federal agents conducting masked raids in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, often without disclosing their agency or purpose. Violations would be criminalized as a misdemeanor. Yes, but: SWAT teams and officers wearing medical or smoke-protection masks under health or emergency protocols would be exempt, as would military personnel such as the National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles. Law enforcement contractors must comply. The other side: The bill could very likely face opposition from law enforcement and has already drawn the ire of some Republicans, including U.S. Justice Department attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who said that "states can't regulate what federal law enforcement wears." Context: The bill aims to target instances of ICE officers dressed in plainclothes or police-labeled attire — actions that have misled the public, caused widespread fear and eroded trust between local police and communities in sanctuary cities, Wiener said.
San Francisco Chronicle
13 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Can state make officers show their faces during protests? Experts appear doubtful
As officers across California clash with protesters of immigration raids, two Bay Area lawmakers proposed legislation Monday that would make it a crime for state or federal police to wear masks. 'We do not need secret police in California,' state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said at a news conference on the steps of City Hall announcing the introduction of Senate Bill 627. 'It's important that we know who are carrying out law enforcement operations,' said the bill's co-author, Sen. Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley, chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee. 'People are afraid. Families are being torn apart.' Under the measure, which would take effect next year, a masked officer could be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by a jail sentence and a fine. The only exemptions would be for medical masks, masks needed to protect against smoke from wildfires and other dangerous conditions, and police emergency squads known as Special Weapons and Tactics teams, or SWAT. SB627 would also require officers to wear a name or badge on their uniform to identify them to the public. It would not prohibit them from wearing visors that left their faces visible. And it would apply only to law enforcement officers, and not to the National Guard troops that President Donald Trump has sent to the streets in Los Angeles while their deployment is challenged in court. Asked whether the state could regulate the clothing or conduct of federal officers, Wiener cited court rulings upholding state and local 'sanctuary' policies that prohibit federal immigration agents from requiring police and jail officials in California to hold undocumented immigrants in custody for deportation. But some law professors were skeptical about applying a state mask ban to U.S. government officers. 'Generally the state cannot dictate how federal law enforcement operates,' said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor. 'The state can't tell the feds what to do,' said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the school's Criminal Justice Center. Citing violence in some of the immigration protests in Los Angeles, Trump declared federal control of the California National Guard last week and sent 8,000 guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines into the city streets. In a lawsuit by the state, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled Thursday that the president had acted illegally by failing to show that the takeover was needed for public safety and failing to consult with Gov. Gavin Newsom. But Breyer's order to remove the National Guard troops was quickly blocked by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday. Wiener said the federal government's actions in California 'have created an atmosphere of profound terror.' He said federal officers have covered their faces, badges and names, and some have worn 'police' tags on their jackets, impersonating local officers. In addition to Los Angeles, Wiener said, the raids have been conducted in San Francisco, San Diego and Concord. There was no immediate comment on SB627 from organizations representing local police. But they have said officers are already required to wear badges and have questioned the need for further requirements.
14 hours ago
- Politics
California lawmakers introduce legislation to ban law enforcement from wearing face coverings
A pair of lawmakers in California are seeking to ban law enforcement officers in the state from wearing face coverings, amid protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's immigration policies. State Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin -- Democratic lawmakers from San Francisco and Oakland, respectively -- announced Monday that they would be filing SB 627 to ban local, state and federal law enforcement from covering their faces when interacting with the public. The legislation, dubbed the No Secret Police Act, would also require law enforcement officers to wear identifying information, Wiener wrote in a post on X. "Secret police behavior tanks trust & must end," Wiener wrote. During a press conference outside San Francisco City Hall on Monday, Wiener said that "secret police" were "grabbing" people off the street, Fox San Francisco affiliate KTVU reported. Exemptions to the bill would include SWAT teams and officers who wear medical masks during natural disasters, such as wildfires, the lawmakers said. Clear riot gear would also be permitted, since they are see-through. The bill intends to ensure transparency and accountability for law enforcement as well as protect them and the public from potential impersonators, Arreguin said. The proposed legislation comes amid several days of protests in Los Angeles over the Trump administration's immigration policies. The protests prompted President Donald Trump deploy National Guard troops without the consent of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Los Angeles Police Department made zero arrests on Sunday night, the first day with no arrests since the protests broke out on June 6. Wiener referenced the immigration raids under the Trump administration when introducing the bill, The San Francisco Standard reported. "The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror," Wiener said, according to the local publication. "If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state."
