California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a noteworthy ceremony held in Los Angeles, set his signature to a series of bills on Saturday. The intent of these legislations, as we understand it, is to bolster protections for residents against what Newsom termed as “secret police”, reportedly participating in immigration enforcement operations under the auspices of the Trump administration.
Among the five legislations signed, all purportedly aimed at curbing the reach of federal officers towards potentially vulnerable populations, the most prominent is the No Secret Police Act or SB 627. This law prohibits federal and local law enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, from wearing face coverings while on duty. It is set to take effect on January 1 of next year. Furthermore, it mandates officers to be identifiable by name and badge number.
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U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a Trump appointee, opined that Newsom has “no jurisdiction over the federal government,” and that he must go through Congress to enact the law. “Our agents will continue to protect their identities,” Essayli maintained. On the other hand, Senator Scott Wiener, author of the bill, described the presence of ICE in the state as a “terror campaign.”
This development follows earlier reports of a Supreme Court ruling allowing immigration enforcement stops in Los Angeles without officers needing reasonable suspicion of a person’s illegal residency status. The ruling enables officers to question and detain individuals based on factors such as skin color, accents and languages spoken.
Other bills signed on Saturday provide protections for children from immigration enforcement operations while at school. Families will be informed when officers arrive at their children’s schools under the new laws, while student information and classrooms also get protection. Furthermore, nonpublic areas of hospitals and emergency rooms are now off-limits to officers who do not have judicial warrants or court orders.
The Department of Homeland Security, in a Saturday statement, labeled the new legislation as “despicable” and a “flagrant attempt to endanger our officers.” The Department also claimed that ICE enforcement officers are facing more than a 1000% increase in assaults against them.
The significance of this saga should not be overlooked. The newly signed laws exemplify the tension between state and federal authorities over immigration issues, and raise critical questions about the extent of state power to regulate federal law enforcement.
