Political Round: Law against masked causes stinging
How California will enforce it, is it symbolism or pure theater as Republicans say
The new Law Against Secret Police (SB 627) is the one that most angered the Trump Administration, because it prohibits the use of face masks for all police officers, including federal police, during their immigration operations in California.
The question that arose the moment this law was known was how the state government plans to enforce it. Some experts on the subject have asserted that going after federal police for wearing face coverings violates the United States Constitution because a federal law is supreme and trumps any state law.
For that reason, Bill Johnson, director of the National Association of Police Organizations, commented that the new law is pure theater.
It is indisputable that Governor Newsom knows that he cannot order federal police how they should present themselves, nor does the state have the capacity to arrest ICE agents.
However, this legislation is understood by many in California as a symbolic act loaded with a very clear message: to tell Californians and the world that Governor Newsom is doing something about the abuses of ICE agents who, masked and without identification, ambush and kidnap immigrants because of their skin color.
The symbolism of the Anti-Secret Police Law could change if the Anti-Mask for ICE Law, presented by New York Congresswomen Nydia Ruiz, is approved in Congress. Velazquez and Daniel Goldman, who does exactly the same thing as the California law, banning masks during ICE raids.
Given that Congress is controlled by Republicans, this bill is not expected to advance unless Democrats regain control after the midterm elections next year, but that's still a long way off.
Note this carefully
Governor Newsom is leading the polls among Democrats to be the presidential candidate in 2028.
But what a need
Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado has gotten into trouble with the city of Fresno for no reason.The blunder occurred during a rally to promote tourism and investment in Los Angeles.
It all started when she happened to say that "Shakira ended her world tour in Fresno, OK. We can't keep losing to Fresno."
The comment caused the mayor and several Fresno council members to take it very personally and get offended; And even The Fresno Bee newspaper dedicated an editorial to the Los Angeles councilwoman.
“It's unfortunate that an inexperienced political aspiring candidate would make such an insulting and derogatory comment about Fresno. She should be ashamed,” Mayor Jerry Dyer told The Fresno Bee newspaper.
And he wasn't the only one: Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez posted on his Instagram account that there was no need to degrade cities that literally feed Angelenos with their fruit and vegetable harvests.
And she asks Jurado to please focus on cleaning up her district instead of mocking a city that is the food pantry of the world, and to think about this the next time she eats a salad or some vegan hotdogs.
Jurado responds to the outrage in a political way by recognizing Fresno's contributions.
Who knows who is advising Councilwoman Jurado. Let's hope they're not as immature as she is. Good would be to focus on her district advice, and stop making comments trying to put down other cities that make her look bad and get her in trouble for nothing.
And on top of everything, she's misinformed, because Shakira gave not one but two concerts as part of her Las Mujeres no ya Lloran tour in Los Angeles last August; In fact, before going to Fresno on August 7, where she performed in front of nearly 30,000 fans.

