OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—The Washington state Senate voted Wednesday to ban law enforcement from covering their faces in response to growing concerns over masked federal immigration agents. Federal agents block in and stop a woman to ask her for another person’s whereabouts Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in south Minneapolis. In Senate floor remarks, Sen. Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, makes the case for Senate Bill 5855, which would impose restrictions on law enforcement wearing masks. Supporters see the face covering ban as an extension of a 2021 state law requiring officers be “reasonably identifiable” while on duty. The same year, Congress required military members and federal law enforcement to visibly display their name and employer while responding to civil disturbances.