LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Responding to recent immigration raids carried out by federal agents typically wearing masks or other face coverings, the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday will consider instructing its attorneys to draft an ordinance barring law enforcement officers from concealing or disguising their identity while on duty.
The proposal by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis follows similar proposals pending in the state Legislature and in Congress.
“Law enforcement officers should never wear personal disguises or conceal their identities while interacting with the public in the course of their duties,” Hahn and Solis wrote in a motion set to be heard by the board Tuesday. “But since the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids began in Los Angeles County on June 6, 2025, that is exactly what has been happening. Residents have witnessed countless incidents of men in plainclothes or wearing tactical gear, with their faces covered by masks or balaclavas and sunglasses, while they raid communities and detain residents. And they have refused to reveal their identities or even a badge when asked, leading to fear of impersonators.
“When law enforcement officers conceal their identities, they create confusion, incite fear, and undermine public trust,” the motion states.
Federal authorities have defended the use of masks by ICE agents, contending there has been a massive increase in assaults on agents, and concealing their identities helps protect them and their families from retaliation.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said agents’ faces and home addresses have been circulated by gang members and activist groups who oppose the mass deportations being undertaken by the Trump administration.
“We will prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law,” Noem said in a statement earlier this month. “These criminals are taking the side of vicious cartels and human traffickers. We won’t allow it in America.”
Critics have assailed the actions of masked agents, contending those agents generally travel in unmarked vehicles and refuse to present badges or identification when specifically asked, raising the chance of imposters carrying out kidnappings under the guise of being legitimate law enforcement officers.
The motion by Hahn and Solis would direct county attorneys to report back in 60 days with proposed language for an ordinance prohibiting all law enforcement officers working in unincorporated areas for wearing “any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the course of their duties.” The ordinance would include exceptions for undercover operations and for authorities wearing gas masks, fire/smoke protection masks or medical grade masks.
It would also all law enforcement officers, “including federal agents,” to wear visible identification and agency affiliation.
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