Gov. Newsom signs bill banning most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations

"LOS ANGELES -- California will be the first state to ban most law enforcement, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday. The ban is California's direct response to a recent series of immigration raids in Los Angeles where federal agents wore masks while making mass arrests. The raids prompted a dayslong protest across the city and led President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the area."

"The Department of Homeland Security said it had sent letters Friday to the attorneys general in California, Illinois and New York reinforcing previous instructions that the Democrat-led states honor detainers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for "criminal illegal aliens within their jurisdictions." DHS said in a statement Saturday that if the states failed to comply, it would pursue "all appropriate measures to end their inadvisable and irresponsible obstruction.""

"But it's unclear how - or whether - the state can enforce the ban on the federal agents who have been carrying out those raids. A homeland security official called the legislation "despicable" in a statement this week, adding that the ban would only put officers in danger. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, said at a press conference in Los Angeles that "students cannot learn if they live in fear of being deported.""

California enacted a law banning most law enforcement, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business. The law responds to recent Los Angeles immigration raids in which federal agents wore masks during mass arrests, provoking dayslong protests and prompting deployment of National Guard troops and Marines. State officials acknowledged uncertainty about enforcing the ban against federal agents. The Department of Homeland Security urged California, Illinois and New York to honor ICE detainers for criminal illegal aliens and warned of measures if states fail to comply. Governor Gavin Newsom said the law will help push back on federal overreach and signed it in Los Angeles.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco