California’s new law, SB 627, the so-called “No Secret Police Act,” prohibits officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering
their faces while doing their jobs.
Our country is divided in ways that weaken us. Too often, politics not
facts or public safety drive decisions. As President of the Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), I lead a nonpartisan
organization representing federal law enforcement professionals.
Our mission depends on support from both sides of the aisle, because keeping Americans safe should never be a partisan issue.
Recently, my team and I attended a White House ceremony for the HALT
Fentanyl Act, a bill we helped move through Congress. This legislation
will save lives, including countless children.
Yet after we proudly featured a photo from that event on the cover of
our 1811 magazine, angry messages poured in not about the bill, but
about where the photo was taken. That’s the problem: too many people see
policy only through the lens of politics, not results.
For nearly 50 years, FLEOA has worked hand in hand with every President
Republican and Democrat alike. Yet today, the pushback is louder simply
because Donald Trump is President. The focus has shifted away from
substance and toward personalities, and that shift is dangerous.
Take California’s new law, SB 627, the so-called “No Secret Police Act.”
It prohibits officers, including federal immigration agents, from
covering their faces while doing their jobs. Advocates claim it promotes
transparency. In reality, it puts officers and their families at risk.
Across the country, federal agents are being assaulted, doxxed, and
targeted by criminals. Masks and face coverings protect them from
retaliation, not accountability. Stripping those protections is a
political move disguised as reform and once one state acts, others often
follow.
I recently met with ICE Director Todd Lyons, who is deeply committed to
the men and women under his command. He spoke about the very real
threats his agents face, both on the streets and at home. For them, a
mask can mean the difference between anonymity and having their personal
information spread online in seconds. Leaders like Director Lyons
understand this it’s time lawmakers did too.
A few days after this meeting, as we continued discussing what more
could be done to protect the men and women serving on the front lines,
tragedy struck in Dallas.
A suspect opened fire at an ICE detention facility, killing one and
leaving two others in critical condition. It is nothing short of
remarkable that more lives were not lost. On that day, I believe Psalm
91 stood over the officers who put their lives on the line.
This heartbreaking incident is yet another reminder of why we, as a society, must do better.
The growing negativity in this country is dividing us at a time when
unity is most needed. Instead of vilifying the federal agents who
dedicate their lives to keeping us safe, we must work together to
protect them and to ensure the safety of every community.
If we continue down a path where laws and rhetoric undermine those on
the front lines, we risk fueling more hate, anger, and violence.
At the end of the day, law enforcement officers are not political pawns.
They are Americans who put themselves in harm’s way to protect their communities.
Policies that jeopardize their safety for the sake of political
posturing don’t just endanger officers they endanger the public they
serve.
We can disagree on politics. But we should all agree on this: protecting those who protect us is not up for debate.
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