Staff Reports
Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest act—banning federal agents from wearing masks while on duty in California—unquestionably places politics above public safety. At a moment when ICE agents and other federal officers encounter a staggering 1000% increase in assaults, stripping them of the right to protect their identities is nothing short of reckless. Instead of empowering law enforcement to do their jobs safely, Newsom’s pandering to his anti-Trump base is putting frontline agents directly in harm’s way.
The response from the Department of Homeland Security has been swift and unequivocal: they refuse to yield to this unconstitutional directive. Federal authorities, responsible for protecting communities from crime and chaos, cannot simply set aside the law because a governor craving headlines says so. Newsom’s move, widely condemned by law enforcement and legal experts alike, is not just a jurisdictional overreach—it’s a political stunt meant to burnish his liberal credentials for a rumored 2028 presidential run.
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
This isn’t just about mask policy; it’s about respect for the rule of law. The supremacy of federal law is clear in the Constitution, and legal experts universally expect this mandate to be tossed out in court. States cannot dictate operational protocols to federal agencies, regardless of how much it might please partisan activists. Newsom’s maneuver once again exposes the left’s willingness to undermine the very institutions that keep our families secure.
The governor claims his policy will restore public trust, but trust in whom? Trust certainly won’t be placed in a leader who hamstrings agents while violence against them surges. ICE and other federal officers face escalating threats on the job, and depriving them of anonymity is an open invitation to further attacks—an indefensible move under any pretense.
Americans deserve principled leaders who support law enforcement, not those who put their lives at risk for fleeting political gain. At the heart of Newsom’s mask ban is a glaring disregard for the security of officers and our communities. This latest chapter of California’s partisan theater is a sobering reminder of just how far some politicians will go to court the radical fringe—regardless of the consequences for public safety.
