California state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) has proposed a ban on law enforcement wearing masks when making arrests, likening them to some form of secret police.
Wiener announced his proposed ban on the social media platform X on Monday, following complaints about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents making arrests of illegal immigrants while wearing masks to shield their identities from being spammed for potential doxxing.
“We’re announcing new legislation — the No Secret Police Act (SB 627) — to ban local/state/federal law enforcement, w/ some exceptions, from covering their faces when interacting w/ the public & require them to wear identifying info Secret police behavior tanks trust & must end,” he wrote.
“We’re seeing the rise of secret police — masked, no identifying info, even wearing army fatigues — grabbing & disappearing people. It’s antithetical to democracy & harms communities. The No Secret Police Act can help end the fear & chaos this behavior creates in communities,” he added.
Detractors and critics of the proposal immediately accused Wiener of seeking to put law enforcement at risk of being doxxed publicly as a form of intimidation. The official Homeland Security account on X wrote the following in response:
California State Sen. Scott Wiener’s proposed legislation banning our federal law enforcement from wearing masks and his rhetoric comparing ICE to “secret police” is despicable. While ICE officers are being assaulted by rioters, a sanctuary politician is trying to outlaw officers wearing masks to protect themselves from being doxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers. Not only is our ICE law enforcement facing a more than 400 percent increase in assaults, but we’ve also seen thugs launch websites to reveal ICE officers’ identity. We will prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Make no mistake, this type of rhetoric is contributing to the surge in assaults of ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE.
“California has zero authority/jurisdiction to regulate what federal law enforcement does,” wrote Fox News reporter Bill Melugin.
“Thank you for once again demonstrating why California is the worst state in the country. You might be causing immeasurable damage and harm to life here with your unending stupidity, but at least outsiders can see the insanity that we have to deal with here,” wrote Outkick writer Ian Miller.
