SAN FRANCISCO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill banning ICE and other law enforcement officials from wearing ski masks or other forms of extreme face coverings, a move supporters say is aimed at increasing transparency and public safety amid growing concerns about unidentifiable officers. The measure, Senate Bill 627, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.
A New York Times article about the bill outlines Newsom’s motivations for signing it into law, as well as opposing views.
“The impact of these policies all across this city, our state and nation are terrifying. It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie — unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing,” the governor said. “This is an outrage, what we’ve allowed to happen in this country.”…