Show Yourself! States Push To Ban Federal Agents, Local Police From Hiding Their Faces

Some state leaders have called face shields 'deeply un-American.'

Bill proposals are flying in from states to ban federal agents — and even local police — from wearing masks covering their faces, with some state leaders calling face shields “deeply un-American,” Associated Press reports.

Some anti-mask proposals are coming in after court rulings blocked the first-of-its-kind laws in California. In early 2026, a federal judge blocked a law from taking effect that would have banned federal immigration agents from covering their faces but required them to wear clear identification revealing their agency and badge number.

As pushback against President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration brigade that has cost the lives of U.S. citizens, several Democratic-led legislatures in Oregon and Virginia have spearheaded efforts to ban masked agents who have faced criticism that face coverings encourage them to act aggressively.

One state that is standing on business is Washington, as Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5855, which bans masks immediately for agents, as well as state and local police. He signed the legislation at El Centro de la Raza, a hub created for the local Latino community in south Seattle, saying it’s time for advocacy like this. “I’m convinced that years from now, our children and grandchildren will ask: What were we doing?” Ferguson said, according to the Washington State Standard.

“Whatever our station in life happens to be, we all have a responsibility to speak out peacefully, make our voices heard, and advocate for laws like this one.”

The bill holds exceptions for personal protective equipment, helmets, SWAT gear, and face coverings for religious purposes. It also allows people detained by officers who are illegally masked to file lawsuits against them, potentially resulting in monetary damages. Ferguson, along with bill sponsor Sen. Javier Valdez, described the legislation as one of the most important of the year. Like other states, Washington has seen the damage of federal agents’ presence, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining people. “That’s not the Washington that I was born and raised in,” Valdez said.

“We were not going to stand for this.”

But of course, as officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) caught wind of the proposals and moves in Washington, they released a statement, labeling the legislation as “irresponsible, reckless and dangerous.” “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban,” a DHS spokesperson said.

Republican lawmakers have also raised objections amid the rise of anti-masking bills, arguing that they need to adhere to protesters as well and that the ban could invite negative perceptions. “The demonization of public safety officers is something that has a deep impact that reverberates across our citizenry,” Oregon Sen. David Brock Smith said.

“There are individuals that riot and dox these public safety individuals.”