New Laws for the New Year: California is banning masks for federal agents. It could lose in court

The Trump administration's operations across the country have provoked controversy. One controversial aspect has been the masking of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, which has generated fear and concern in communities subject to enforcement.

Nigel Duara for Cal Matters provides background on California's anti-masking law:

"In January, the state of California . . . will ban law enforcement officers from covering their faces, with a few exceptions, putting local and state police at odds with masked immigration agents. The state law gives law enforcement officers a choice: If they cover their faces, they lose the ability to assert `qualified immunity,' the doctrine that protects officers from individual liability for their actions. That means they can be sued for assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest or malicious prosecution . . . "  

The Trump administration has sued to block the bill, and there is precedent on its side.