A California Democrat introduced a bill on Monday that would prohibit law enforcement officers who operate in the state from wearing face coverings. 

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-CA) unveiled the No Secret Police Act in response to recent sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other law enforcement officers covering their faces during immigration raids and anti-President Donald Trump protests. 

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If passed, the legislation would make the West Coast state the first in the country to clamp down on federal agents and police from concealing their faces. It comes as videos of raids showing masked officers in unmarked cars grabbing people off the streets circulate on social media. 

“We are seeing more and more law enforcement officers, particularly at the federal level, covering their faces entirely, not identifying themselves at all and, at times, even wearing army fatigues where we can’t tell if these are law enforcement officers or a vigilante militia,” Wiener said. “They are grabbing people off our streets and disappearing people, and it’s terrifying.”

Wiener’s bill would require law enforcement officers to keep their faces visible and wear uniforms displaying their names or another form of identification. The measure exempts the National Guard, SWAT teams, and officers responding to natural disasters.

Democrats have criticized the practice of law enforcement officers covering their faces, arguing that it erodes transparency as Trump steps up his use of federal law enforcement to carry out his immigration agenda. California Republicans countered that masking protects officers from being targeted or doxxed, which takes place when a person’s information, such as home addresses, is posted online.

But Wiener believes his bill will help restore faith in law enforcement. 

“The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror,” he said. “If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state.” 

He added that law enforcement should be “proud to show their faces.” 

Harmeet Dhillon, U.S. assistant attorney general for the civil rights division,  pushed back on Wiener’s bill. 

“Scott, go check with a lawyer if this is a thing, and get back to us. (Hint — it isn’t— states can’t regulate what federal law enforcement wears),” Dhillon, who was previously based in California, wrote on X. 

Tracy McCray, head of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, told the San Francisco Standard her union is reviewing the bill’s specifics.

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“While transparency is important, there are circumstances — such as tactical operations, undercover assignments, or crowd control situations — where face coverings are necessary for the safety of our officers and the public,” McCray said.

Jake Johnson, president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, wrote in a statement that his group would look at the bill “closely as we work toward a positive outcome for all Californians.”