The Department of Homeland Security will not comply with a newly enacted California law that bans federal agents from wearing masks while conducting their operations, The Hill reported. A social media post from the DHS on Monday emphatically stated that the DHS "will NOT comply with Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional mask ban."
President Donald Trump's administration has begun conducting raids and deporting illegal immigrants just as he'd promised during the 2024 presidential campaign. In California, 27% of residents are foreign-born, a fact which likely spurs on Newsom's opposition as he makes a play for the White House in 2028.
On Saturday, Newsom signed the first-of-its-kind legislation banning masks for agents, including DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out immigration enforcement and other operations. The leftist governor charges that these agents are "hidden from accountability" and that masks deny "transparency" and block "oversight" by the public.
"That’s Trump’s America, but that’s not the America we’ve grown up in," Newsom said during a news conference at a California high school while announcing the legislation. "And so we are pushing back," the governor promised.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 5,000 illegal immigrants were arrested from June to August in the city of Los Angeles alone. Rather than focusing on the widespread nature of the problem and the ways the federal government is addressing it, Newsom is concerned about what the people who bring these criminals to justice are wearing on their faces.
Meanwhile, ICE agents have been forced to wear masks because of the increased threats against them. "At a time that ICE law enforcement faces a 1,000% increase in assaults and their family members are being doxxed and targeted, the sitting Governor of California signed unconstitutional legislation that strips law enforcement of protections in a disgusting, diabolical fundraising and PR stunt," the DHS, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
To be clear: We will NOT comply with Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional mask ban.
At a time that ICE law enforcement faces a 1,000% increase in assaults and their family members are being doxxed and targeted, the sitting Governor of California signed unconstitutional legislation… pic.twitter.com/8Me4OOP8t8
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
The video accompanying the post featured a Fox News interview about the Trump administration's response to the issue. It began with Newsom and his taunting message after signing the legislation. "To ICE: unmask. What are you afraid of?" Newsom said in his remarks about the law.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin then explained that the situation has become dire due to the leftists' crusade against immigration enforcement. "Not only are they facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them, largely because of the rhetoric of these politicians likening them to the Gestapo or Nazis. This law, in fact, was called the No Secret Police [Act]." McLaughlin added.
McLaughlin believes Newsom is "giving permission" for people to attack agents with such rhetoric, and the new law equates the actions of government agencies with America's enemy in World War II. She also pointed out that just before announcing the legislation, Newsom's social media "issued a threatening post against Secretary Noem," she shared.
"It seemed very menacing and I think it was pretty disturbing to see," McLaughlin said about the post to X. Newsom's official press office issued the post stating, "Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You’re welcome, America."
According to Fox News, this prompted a formal threat response from the U.S. Secret Service. Agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi shared that the Department of Justice referred the matter to his agency, but that he was unable to comment on "specific protective intelligence matters" such as this.
"However, the Secret Service must vigorously investigate any situation or individual, regardless of position or status, that could pose or be perceived as posing a threat to any of our protectees," Guglielmi said. "Especially in a politically charged climate, such as this," he added. This threatening language from a high-profile politician came a little more than a week after conservative pundit and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot to death, which has put many on edge about political violence.
Newsom's law demonstrates a severe disregard for the safety of government officials tasked with carrying out law enforcement operations. What makes it worse is his rhetoric surrounding it that only adds to the heightened temperature of political discourse right now, and Newsom seems unable or unwilling to see the potential risks of that.
