Los Angeles County leaders move forward resolution on Tuesday, which would ban law enforcement officers, including immigration agents, wear masks working in unincorporated parts of the county.
The resolution would also require all law enforcement officers to carry identification and clearly indicate their affiliation with the agency.
The ban is in response to residents' concerns about unidentified agents conducting immigration enforcement operations throughout the region. Since the raids began this summer, armed federal agents – their faces hidden by gaiters or ski masks – have repeatedly jumped out of unmarked vans and detained people on street corners, car washes and Home Depot parking lots. Officers often refuse to identify themselves as federal immigration officers.
Legal experts say federal immigration agents will not be required to enforce the county's mask ban. The county's top lawyer, Dovene Harrison, said she suspects the federal government will likely argue that the county law violates the Constitution, which states that federal law takes precedence over conflicting local laws.
“If this leads to a fight against the federal government in the courts, I think it's a fight worth fighting,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who spearheaded the ban.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Trisha McLaughlin said immigration agents need to disguise themselves to prevent their names from being leaked or “doxxed.”
The motion passed 4-0, with Supervisor Katherine Barger abstaining. According to county policy, the ban must be approved again, with a vote scheduled for next week. The ban will come into force in January 2026.
“If you carry the power of an icon here, you need to be visible, accountable and recognizable to the people you serve,” said Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, who co-authored the proposal.
Barger previously questioned the nature of the motion, which will almost certainly land them in court.
“My concern is that we're filing a motion that will probably end up in court, and I doubt it's even legal for us to do that,” Barger said in July.
