Key facts
- A federal judge has blocked New York's law requiring ICE agents to wear visible badges and remove face coverings during arrests.
- The judge ruled that New York cannot regulate federal law enforcement agencies.
- A state law prohibiting cooperation between local police departments and ICE was allowed to stand.
- The mask ruling comes after federal judges have blocked similar laws in California, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
- New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, signed the restrictions in late May.
A federal judge has blocked New York's law banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring visible identification. US District Judge Mae D’Agostino ruled that the state cannot regulate federal law enforcement agencies, citing the supremacy clause of the US Constitution. The ruling comes after similar laws in California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania were blocked by federal judges.
Judge D’Agostino stated that while New York's intentions for transparent policing may be well-meaning, the measures likely violate the supremacy clause. The preliminary ruling prevents local police from arresting ICE agents for covering their faces in public. The Trump administration had argued that such bans could expose federal agents to harassment and doxxing.
However, a separate New York law prohibiting cooperation between local police departments and ICE was allowed to stand. Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James stated their offices are reviewing legal options, asserting that masked agents do not enhance New York's safety and that local law enforcement should focus on local matters. ICE cooperation has become a campaign issue in Hochul's re-election bid.