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The Trump administration filed suit Monday to stop California from enforcing its new mask ban for law enforcement, arguing the state is putting federal agents at greater risk. The complaint, reported by the Associated Press, says agents already face “unprecedented” harassment and doxing, making facial coverings vital for safety.
Federal officials maintain that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been stalked, threatened, and filmed at their homes and that California’s rules violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. They also contend the state unfairly exempts its own police while placing restrictions on federal personnel.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a government statement that “California’s anti-law enforcement policies discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents.”
The administration cast the law as part of what it views as a long-running climate of hostility toward federal immigration enforcement in the state.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the ban in September, making California the first state to prohibit most masking by law enforcement officers. The law prohibits facial coverings during official duties, except in undercover situations or when protective gear, such as N95 respirators, is required. A related law requires officers to display clear identification, including their agency and badge number.
In its lawsuit, the administration cited cases in which ICE officers were followed, filmed or targeted online, including an incident in Los Angeles where three women allegedly livestreamed an agent and posted his home address. Federal lawyers argued that anonymity shields officers from retaliation and violent targeting, and stated that the state’s rules remove a key layer of protection.
Newsom has criticized masked federal arrests as “dystopian,” saying residents should know exactly who is exercising police authority in their neighborhoods. Critics
California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said it is reviewing the lawsuit. It argued that residents must be able to distinguish legitimate officers from criminals posing as them, pointing to recent incidents involving kidnappers who impersonated immigration agents.