Los Angeles County supervisors advanced an ordinance Tuesday that would prohibit law enforcement officers — including immigration enforcement agents — from wearing masks while working in unincorporated parts of the county.
The ordinance would also require all law enforcement officers to wear identification and make clear their agency affiliation.
The ban is a response to concerns from residents over unidentifiable agents conducting immigration enforcement operations across the region. Since raids began this summer, armed federal agents — their faces hidden by neck gaiters or ski masks — have repeatedly hopped out of unmarked vans and apprehended people from street corners, car washes and Home Depot parking lots. Officers often refuse to identify themselves as working with federal immigration enforcement.
Legal experts say federal immigration agents would not be required to follow a county mask ban. The county’s top lawyer, Dawyn Harrison, has said she suspects the federal government will likely argue that the county law violates the Constitution, which states that federal law takes precedence over conflicting local statutes.
“If this leads to a fight with the federal government in the courts, I think it’s a fight worth having,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who spearheaded the ban.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has said immigration agents need to disguise themselves to avoid having their names publicized or being “doxed.”
The motion passed 4-0, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstaining. Per county policy, the ban must be approved once more, and the vote is scheduled for next week. The ban would go into effect in January 2026.
“If you carry the power of a badge here, you must be visible, accountable and identifiable to the people you serve,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who co-authored the motion.
Barger had previously questioned the point of a motion that would almost certainly land them in court.
“My concern is we’re bringing in a motion that is probably going to end up in court, that I question is even legal for us to do,” Barger said in July.