A federal judge has blocked a California law from taking effect that would have banned federal immigration agents from covering their faces. The ruling, issued on Monday by Judge Christina Snyder, found that the law discriminated against the federal government because it did not apply to state and local law enforcement authorities.
California had become the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings under a bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September. The law was prompted by high-profile raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Los Angeles last summer. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in November, arguing that the ban would threaten officer safety amid harassment and violence, and that it unconstitutionally regulated the federal government.
In her ruling, Judge Snyder noted that the mask ban as enacted did not extend to state and local authorities, thus discriminating against federal agencies. She left open the possibility for future legislation that would apply to all law enforcement. Scott Wiener, the California state senator who proposed the original bill, said he would immediately introduce new legislation to include state police.
While blocking the mask ban, Snyder allowed a separate law to stand that requires both state and federal officers to display identification. Governor Newsom’s office called that ruling a “clear win for the rule of law”. The identification law was originally set to take effect on 1 January, but enforcement was stayed until 19 February.
Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, hailed the decision as a “key court victory”, stating that federal agents are “attacked on a regular basis just for doing their jobs”. The rulings could have national implications as other states, including Massachusetts and New York, consider similar legislation to ban masks for federal agents.
