The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion supporting state and federal legislation aimed at ensuring accountability during immigration enforcement operations.
The motion, authored by Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Holly J. Mitchell, follows reports of federal immigration agents conducting raids in Los Angeles County while wearing masks, balaclavas and concealing badges and other identifiers.
"Trust between law enforcement and our communities has been lost, due to tactics being used in the current ICE raids throughout LA County," Horvath said. "No one should open their door to masked agents and wonder who they are or whether they have the authority to act."
These practices have fueled fear and eroded trust in law enforcement. Officials say concealing identity during enforcement circumvents transparency and opens the door for criminal impersonation, citing a recent case in Huntington Park where an individual posing as an immigration agent was arrested while carrying an unlicensed firearm and fake documents.
"Federal immigration agents hiding behind face coverings and not showing any identification while conducting raids and grabbing residents off the street - without due process - only serves to endanger people, spread fear, and create chaos," Mitchell said.
The board voted to support several bills that prohibit officers from concealing their identities and strengthen penalties for impersonating law enforcement:
- SB 627 (Wiener) – "No Secret Police Act": Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks or disguises while interacting with the public.
- SB 805 (Pérez) – "No Vigilantes Act": Expands laws against impersonating law enforcement and requires visible identification.
- H.R. 4004 (Velázquez) – "No Anonymity in Immigration Enforcement Act of 2025": Prohibits ICE agents from wearing facial coverings and requires visible identification.
- S. 2212 (Padilla) – "VISIBLE Act of 2025": Requires immigration enforcement officers to display legible identification and bans non-medical facial coverings with limited exceptions.
The motion directs the Chief Executive Office's Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations team to send five-signature letters of support for each bill to the respective authors.
Edited by SMDP Staff