California just dropped a bold move against masked ICE agents raiding communities—effective tomorrow, January 1. No more hiding faces while targeting families, says the new "No Secret Police Act."

KTVU shared that state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, pushed SB 627 through the legislature, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law back in September.

"ICE agents who terrorize California communities while covering their faces will be in violation of California law and subject to civil and criminal liability," said Wiener in a statement. "There is no legitimate reason for ICE or any law enforcement officer to cover their faces while conducting normal operations and doing so undermines public safety and erodes trust in law enforcement."

The new bill bans local, federal, and out-of-state cops—including ICE—from covering their faces with ski masks, balaclavas, or neck gaiters during routine operations.

Exceptions exist for SWAT teams, undercover work, medical masks, wildfire protection, or health gear, but otherwise, agents gotta show their faces and wear visible names or badge numbers.

“We have to stand up and say no to the secret police raining fear and intimidation on communities across California,” Wiener said in a statement. “Law enforcement should never be easily confused with the guy in the ski mask robbing a liquor store, yet that’s what’s happening with ICE’s extreme masking.”

This hits hard for Black and Brown communities, who’ve been increasingly targeted during recent immigration sweeps. Masked agents have sparked fear around the country, with reports of impersonators robbing and assaulting locals while pretending to be immigration officers. 

And if agents break the law? Officers lose "qualified immunity," facing lawsuits for assault, false arrest or worse, with a minimum $10,000 penalty if masked.

Newsom called it a stand against "secret police" tactics, pairing it with rules blocking ICE from schools and hospitals without warrants. Families get notified if agents show up at kids' schools, protecting student info too. It's California's latest sanctuary push, echoing fights against overreach.