LEILA FADEL, HOST:
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law banning ICE agents and most law enforcement from wearing masks to hide their identities. He says it's the country's first. Trump administration officials say they won't obey it because the state lacks that authority. Gerardo Zavala of CapRadio in Sacramento reports.
GERARDO ZAVALA, BYLINE: Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new law over the weekend in Los Angeles, the city that has seen an immigration crackdown that he says continues.
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GAVIN NEWSOM: Unmarked cars. People in masks. People quite literally disappearing. No due process. No rights. No rights in a democracy where we have rights. Immigrants have rights.
ZAVALA: The law bars local and federal law enforcement from wearing masks except for things like riot gear and medical masks or when doing undercover work. Newsom also signed laws requiring officers to display their name or badge number and to restrict ICE access to schools and hospitals without warrants.
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NEWSOM: This is about the secret police. We're not North Korea, Mr. President. We're not the Soviet Union. This is the United States of America.
ZAVALA: ICE officials have said their agents face doxing, targeting and threats - something Newsom says are dealt with by laws protecting police. But Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. attorney for the central district of California, said on social media that the new mask law would have no effect on federal operations. Many California law enforcement groups also oppose the law. And Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who's running for governor, called it reckless while campaigning Friday.
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CHAD BIANCO: They didn't ban criminals from wearing masks. They didn't tell criminals that they had to identify themselves. They have a love affair for criminals, and they have an absolute hatred for law enforcement.
ZAVALA: The law could end up in court like other disputes between states and the Trump administration over sanctuary policies and the use of National Guard units. It takes effect next year, and a few other states are considering similar measures.
For NPR News, I'm Gerardo Zavala in Sacramento. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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