By Angelica C. Gualpa
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday joined the state fight to prohibit law enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, from wearing masks or concealing their identities when conducting law enforcement business in unincorporated LA County.
Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey P. Horvath authored the motion, which passed on a 4–0 vote, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstaining.
“This is how authoritarian secret police behaves — not legitimate law enforcement in a democracy. ICE agents are violating our residents’ rights every day they are on our streets. These agents hide their faces. They refuse to wear badges. They pull people into unmarked vans at gunpoint and wonder why people resist arrest,” said Hahn. “We are declaring in no uncertain terms that in LA County, police do not hide their faces. That is our expectation, and this ordinance will now make it our law.”
If approved, the ordinance will prohibit all law enforcement, including local, state, and federal, from wearing masks or personal disguises while interacting with the public in the course of their duties in unincorporated LA County. Additionally, it will require that all law enforcement, including local, state, and federal, wear visible identification and agency affiliation while interacting with the public in the course of their duties in unincorporated LA County
“For months, federal officers have taken actions that erode the trust of our communities—so much so that Los Angeles County is now under a declared state of emergency,” said Horvath. “Today, we are taking a necessary step toward restoring transparency. Los Angeles County is ending anonymous policing in our neighborhoods. If you carry the power of a badge here, you must be visible, accountable, and identifiable to the people you serve.”
Hahn and Horvath rallied with supporters from across the county at a press conference in front of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration ahead of the board meeting. Joining them were immigrant rights organizations, including CHIRLA, Centro CHA, the TransLatina Coalition, and the Filipino Migrant Center, as well as grassroots groups that have been documenting ICE activity and wrongdoing since June – including the Harbor Area Peace Patrols and the Long Beach Rapid Response Network.
The measure comes after the Trump Administration last month filed a lawsuit against the State of California, which recently passed a similar law, arguing that states cannot regulate federal agencies. The administration has stated it will not comply with the ban as it is a threat to officer safety due to increased threats and doxing.
But Hahn said the County will stand its ground in the fight over the mask ban.
“This is about defending the constitutional rights of the people we represent,” said Hahn. “We cannot stand down now and allow this type of policing to be acceptable in America. So, if this means a fight in the courts with the federal government, I think it is a fight worth having.”
This proposed Los Angeles County ordinance differs slightly from the state law. Unlike state law, the county ordinance would apply to state law enforcement agencies, such as the California Highway Patrol.
The proposed County ordinance also incorporates additional pre-approved exceptions, crafted in consultation with local law enforcement, including medical masks, breathing apparatuses, motorcycle helmets when riding a motorcycle, SWAT teams, and active undercover operations.
A required second vote on adopting the ordinance will be held next week, on December 9. If approved, it will go into effect 30 days after the second vote.
