Key facts
- A federal judge blocked Philadelphia's law banning masked federal law enforcement agents.
- The ruling came at the request of the Trump administration.
- The law, part of the 'ICE Out' package, would have imposed civil and criminal penalties.
- The judge cited the U.S. Constitution, stating municipalities cannot control federal agency operations.
- The administration argued the law endangers agents and undermines operations.
A federal judge on Thursday blocked Philadelphia from enforcing a new city law that would have prohibited federal law enforcement agents from wearing masks, ruling that the city cannot dictate how they conduct operations. U.S. District Judge Chad Kenney issued a preliminary injunction barring Philadelphia from enforcing key provisions of the law against federal officers before they were scheduled to take effect on Tuesday.
Philadelphia's mask ban was enacted earlier this year as part of a larger "ICE Out" legislative package passed by the Philadelphia City Council. It would bar officers from wearing masks or concealing identifying information, require visible badges and marked vehicles, and expose officers to civil and criminal penalties.