California, led by the Democratic Party, previously passed a bill that prohibits federal law enforcement officers from covering their faces while performing their duties. In response, the United States Department of Justice officially filed a lawsuit on Monday (17th) against the California government, Governor Gavin Newsom, and State Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The lawsuit argues that California’s regulation threatens the safety of federal law enforcement officers, who have faced “unprecedented harassment, personal information exposure, and even violent threats.” At the same time, these laws jeopardize the sensitive operations of law enforcement officers and “hamper the enforcement of federal laws.”
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to protect the safety of the American people. They should not be exposed or harassed for carrying out their duties,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. She added, “California’s anti-law enforcement policies discriminate against the federal government and deliberately put our law enforcement officers at risk. These laws cannot stand.”
The Department of Justice’s lawsuit primarily challenges California’s previously enacted “No Secret Police Act” and “No Vigilantes Act”.
The “No Secret Police Act” (California SB627) was proposed by Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, aiming to prohibit any law enforcement officer from wearing a “mask that conceals or hides their facial identity” while on duty.
On September 20th, Newsom signed a series of bills to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing immigration laws in California, including the “No Secret Police Act”. These bills also included restrictions on law enforcement officers’ access to schools and hospitals, and Senate Bill 805, also known as the “No Vigilantes Act”.
These California laws are seen as Democratic efforts to counteract massive law enforcement actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles.
In a statement on Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli from the Central District of California said, “Attacks on federal law enforcement officers have increased dramatically in recent months, partially due to extreme and irresponsible political rhetoric that seeks to delegitimize our brave law enforcement officers.”
“Unconstitutional laws like those in California only increase the risks law enforcement officers face in protecting community safety.” He emphasized that despite politicians attempting to hinder law enforcement with unconstitutional laws, “immigration law enforcement will continue unimpeded.”
Regarding the federal lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta responded to a reporter from Dajiyuan by stating, “It is a problem when California residents cannot distinguish between law enforcement officers responsible for protecting them and criminals attempting to harm them.”
He indicated that concealing the identities of agents could lead to an increase in imitative criminal behavior, stating that his office is responsible for defending California laws and will continue to fulfill that duty in this case.
State Senator Wiener, who introduced the “No Secret Police Act,” also responded in a statement on Monday, declaring, “No one is above the law. We’ll see this in court.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously explained in a statement that law enforcement officers wearing masks to protect their identities is “to avoid becoming targets of drug cartels, criminal organizations, terrorists, and online doxing.” All ICE law enforcement officers carry badges and credentials, providing identification when required for public safety or legal purposes. ◇