By SDCN Staff
Washington, D.C.–The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Rob Bonta, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers through the “No Secret Police Act” and “No Vigilantes Act.”
Justice Department officials say the state’s laws are an illegal attempt to discriminate against and regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the laws threaten the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedented wave of harassment, doxxing, and even violence.
“Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations,” the Justice Department stated in a news release.
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “California’s anti-law enforcement policies discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand.”
SB 805 requires federal agents who are not in uniform to wear visible identification during operations. Both include exceptions, including for undercover operations. SB 627 prohibits local and federal law enforcement from concealing their faces with masks.
Supporters of both bills say they boost transparency and support public safety by bolstering public trust in law enforcement.
Governor Newsom signed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) No Secret Police Act, which bans federal and local law enforcement, including ICE, from wearing ski masks and similar extreme masks. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2026.
SB 627 is backed by a coalition of immigrant rights, labor, and civil rights organizations. Earlier this week, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security demanded that Newsom veto the bill.
Senator Wiener, the lead author of SB 627, issued the following statement in response to the Justice Department.
“As this authoritarian regime seeks to demolish our constitutional rights and engages in a straight-up terror campaign, California is meeting the Trump Administration’s secret police tactics with strength and defiance. I applaud Governor Newsom for the tremendous leadership he has shown in combating President Trump’s assault on California. The No Secret Police Act is a bold step that builds on a remarkable record of leadership defending our immigrant communities and democracy itself.”
SB 627 is sponsored by Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Prosecutors Alliance Action, and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.
“By signing SB 627, the governor has shown that California is not powerless in the face of unprecedented law enforcement overreach that tramples individual rights and threatens public safety,” said Hector Villagra, MALDEF vice president of Policy Advocacy & Community Education. “SB 627 not only sends a powerful message about California’s commitment to democratic values, but also protects residents from the fear and confusion caused by masked, unidentified individuals snatching people off our sidewalks.”
In recent months, federal law enforcement officers have conducted raids in California and across the country while covering their faces and, at times, badges, names, and other identifying information. They sometimes wear jackets stating “Police” — effectively impersonating local law enforcement. Such raids have occurred in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Concord, Downey, Montebello, and many other places since the new federal administration began ramping up its immigration enforcement efforts.
California won a restraining order blocking indiscriminate ICE raids in Southern California after a judge found that the agency had profiled California residents by race, denied detainees access to lawyers, and targeted Californians for hanging out at work sites like Home Depot. But the Supreme Court later reversed the lower court decision and admonished them for exercising their right to check the power of President Trump’s executive branch.
Justice Dept. challenges California mask ban, ID rules
