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State legislation aims to ban law enforcement officers from using masks

KALW | By Sunni Khalid
Published June 17, 2025 at 3:17 PM PDT
Masked ICE agents make an arrest
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
/
Wikimedia Commons
Masked ICE agents make an arrest

Two Bay Area state senators have introduced a bill that would ban all law enforcement officers from using masks on the job.

Senators Scott Weiner, of San Francisco, and Jesse Arreguin, of Berkeley, introduced the legislation. It comes amid a recent wave of arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents, who have concealed their identities by using masks or gaiters.

In a statement, Weiner said a ban on masks will “boost trust in law enforcement” and make it easier for law enforcement to do their jobs.

Introduced yesterday, SB 627 would apply to all local, state and federal agents, including ICE. It also carves out an exception for SWAT teams or officers wearing medical masks during wildfires or natural disasters.

Both state legislators said mask-wearing ICE agents had provided the opportunity for imposters to impersonate agents.
Bay Area Headlines
Sunni Khalid
Sunni M. Khalid is a veteran of more than 40 years in journalism, having worked in print, radio, television, and web journalism.
See stories by Sunni Khalid