Newsom targets ICE prohibits federal law enforcement officers, including ICE, from hiding their identities.”
Demonstrations outside federal buildings have led to scores of arrests. AFP via Getty Images
On Saturday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills aimed at increasing transparency in federal immigration enforcement activities. The new laws make California the first state to prohibit federal law enforcement officers — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — from concealing their identities during operations.
According to a press release from Newsom’s office, the five-bill package is intended to prevent federal agents from masking their faces or hiding name tags or badge numbers, except in situations where doing so is absolutely necessary. The legislation also limits the presence of immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals.
The governor’s office stated that these measures are part of an effort to reduce fear and disruption in immigrant communities, especially among children and families. “ICE agents have wrongfully arrested citizens, concealed their identities, and undermined transparency,” the statement read. “They dismantled rules that once kept enforcement away from schools, hospitals, and churches, fueling student absences and eroding community trust.”
Under the new laws:
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Federal immigration agents must remain identifiable during operations.
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Immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas of hospitals is prohibited without a court order or judicial warrant.
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Health information collected by providers is explicitly protected from immigration use.
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Schools must notify families if immigration enforcement plans to visit.
Newsom emphasized the emotional impact of immigration enforcement on families. “Our places of learning and healing must never be turned into hunting grounds,” he said. “No family should ever have to carry that weight. California is choosing true public safety.”
The governor also appeared to mock Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) the same day, suggesting she was about to have “a bad day.” In response, Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli reportedly referred the post to the U.S. Secret Service for a threat assessment.
While California’s new laws apply at the state level, it remains unclear how they will be enforced against federal agencies, which are generally not bound by state regulations.
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