The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has spoken out against California’s plan to prevent law enforcement officials from concealing their faces when engaging with the public.
On Monday, DHS’s social media platforms noted a rise in assaults on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, criticizing the framing that equates ICE to “secret police,” which they described as inappropriate.
In a post, DHS mentioned, “While ICE officers face aggression from riot police, certain politicians are pushing to ban officers from wearing masks, ostensibly to protect themselves from individuals sympathetic to terrorists.”
They further clarified, “Make no mistake, such rhetoric has fueled an increase in attacks against ICE officers through continual slander and denigration.”
DHS highlighted that law enforcement is confronting a new website intending to expose personal details of ICE agents, a practice known as “doxing.”
They emphasized, “ICE personnel put their lives on the line each day to detain violent, illegal immigrants to safeguard American citizens.”
This response came in light of Senator Scott Wiener’s proposed legislation, known as The Secret Police Act (SB627).
The proposal seeks to bar local, state, and federal law enforcement from hiding their faces during public interactions, although some exceptions apply, as stated by Wiener.
Wiener expressed on social media that the goal is to restore trust between communities and law enforcement amid increasing instances of masked officers during protests in California and beyond.
He remarked, “We’re witnessing the emergence of secret police—masked individuals, military attire—while also seeing people wrongfully apprehending and harming others.”
Additionally, there’s been a notable rise in individuals pretending to be ICE agents and other law enforcement officers. Critics claim this trend stems from the lack of a requirement for officials to disclose their identities before taking enforcement actions.
Attempts to reach Wiener’s office for further comments were made.
