Newsom bans ICE agents from wearing masks in California
3 Min Read
California’s new law curbs masked ICE operations as tensions grow between state officials and federal authorities over immigration enforcement.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosts a press conference and signs a slew of climate initiative bills at the Academy of Sciences, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in San Francisco (AP)
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed landmark legislation on Saturday prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing masks while carrying out operations in the state, a first-of-its-kind measure aimed at boosting accountability and transparency.
“ICE agents will no longer be hidden from accountability,” Newsom said during remarks at a Los Angeles–area high school. He argued that masks undermine public trust, noting, “That’s Trump’s America but that’s not the America we’ve grown up in. And so we are pushing back.”
The move comes amid heightened tensions between California and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement. Federal crackdowns have sown fear in immigrant communities across the state, where more than a quarter of residents are foreign-born.
Los Angeles has seen a particularly heavy federal presence, with protests erupting earlier this year over large-scale deportation operations. In response, hundreds of National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to the city without Newsom’s approval. One person died during a chaotic ICE raid on a California farm, further intensifying outrage.
Wider context
From June through August, federal authorities arrested about 5,000 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles alone, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“LA rioters would not stop DHS or slow us down,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement defending the mass arrests. “Our law enforcement will continue to enforce the law. And anyone who lays a hand on a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Newsom countered that such measures run contrary to California’s values. “We are a majority-minority state, California. At our best, we don’t tolerate that diversity. At our best, we celebrate that diversity. We’re a universal state,” he said.
“Our status is unique in the United States of America. It’s what makes California great. It’s what makes America great. And it’s under assault by this administration,” Noem stressed.
The governor’s office sharpened its criticism of DHS in announcing the legislation, posting on X: “Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America.”
Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 20, 2025
You’re welcome, America.
The jab drew a swift rebuke from DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, who fired back on social media: “This reads like a threat. This is ugly, @GavinNewsom.”
This reads like a threat.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) September 20, 2025
This is ugly, @GavinNewsom.
Your keyboard warrior team may hide behind their laptops and spew this kind of vitriol but you would never have the guts to say this to her face. https://t.co/U4IOGj76Cj
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