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LOS ANGELES (CN) — The Justice Department sued California Monday over two state laws aimed at unmasking federal law enforcement, including immigration agents.
In a 16-page lawsuit filed in the Central District of California, the Trump administration challenges provisions of the “No Secret Police Act” and “No Vigilantes Act” signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom in September.
The No Secret Police Act targets federal immigration agents who have worn masks while detaining people suspected of being in the country without authorization. It bans local and federal authorities from wearing masks on duty, with some exceptions. State authorities are exempt.
The No Vigilantes Act requires law enforcement in California to clearly display identification of their agency and badge number while performing enforcement duties.
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “California’s anti-law enforcement policies discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand.”
Without legal intervention, both laws become effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The DOJ claims that the laws “unlawfully regulate” the federal government, arguing that only the federal government can dictate the uniforms and policies of federal agents. They also claim that the laws unlawfully discriminate against the federal government, as they only apply to federal law enforcement officers and agencies, and not state authorities.
“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like California’s," Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said.
The government says it faces “a real threat of criminal liability” since it does not intend to comply with the laws and asks the court to declare the challenged provisions of the two laws invalid, along with prohibiting California from enforcing them against federal authorities.
The lawsuit marks the latest battle between California state officials and President Donald Trump over immigration.
Moments before signing the No Secret Police Act, Newsom criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, saying ICE agents avoid accountability when they do not have to identify themselves.
“That is not the America we grew up in,” he added. “It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie.
“We have the right to stand up and push back and that is what we are doing here today,” Newsom added moments later.
Newsom has also condemned the president for sending the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles after immigration protests earlier this year, saying the state must defend its values.
San Francisco Democratic state Senator Scott Wiener, author of the No Secret Police Act, said in a statement that the Trump administration is “once again proving that they care more about their own unchecked power to kidnap and intimidate than they do about lowering the cost of living, following the Constitution or releasing the Epstein files.”
He added: “Despite what these would-be authoritarians claim, no one is above the law. We’ll see you in court.”
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