California will be the first state to ban most law enforcement, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday.
The ban is California’s direct response to a recent series of immigration raids in Los Angeles where federal agents wore masks while making mass arrests. The raids prompted a dayslong protest across the city and led President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the area.
But it’s unclear how – or whether – the state can enforce the ban on the federal agents who have been carrying out those raids. A homeland security official called the legislation “despicable” in a statement this week, adding that the ban would only put officers in danger…