A federal judge has blocked New York from enforcing a state law that prohibited federal agents from wearing face coverings or requiring them to display visible identification. U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino ruled that the measures likely violate the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents state governments from regulating federal law enforcement.
The ruling comes after a similar law in California, enacted after the Trump administration increased immigration arrests, was blocked earlier this year. D'Agostino stated that while New York's intentions might be aimed at transparent policing, the core issue for the court is constitutionality, not policy preferences.
The challenged measures were part of a slate of law enforcement policies included in a state budget bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in May. The law went into effect in June. New York's Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Hochul issued a joint statement indicating their offices are reviewing all legal options, asserting their belief that "masked agents do not make New York safer."
These restrictions on federal agents wearing masks have appeared in other states as well. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Connecticut over a similar state law. California was the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings, enacting its law in September following a summer of high-profile immigration raids in Los Angeles. The blocking of California's law was anticipated to have nationwide implications for other states considering similar restrictions on immigration agents.