California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 627 , known as the “ No Secret Police Act ,” into law on Saturday, making California the first state in the country to prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing masks or other facial coverings that obscure their identities during operations, except in narrowly defined circumstances.

The law, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco), is a direct response to what state leaders have described as “secret police tactics” used during federal immigration raids under the Trump administration. Beginning January 1, 2026, peace officers employed by cities, counties, or local agencies, as well as federal agents and out-of-state officers operating in California, will generally be barred from concealing their faces while performin

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