The Trump administration has filed a suit to block California's new restrictions on masked federal agents, arguing the state's laws endanger officers and violate federal authority.
The challenge targets two measures signed in September that prohibit most federal and local officers from covering their faces during official operations and require visible identification while on duty.
California's No Secret Police Act, authored by state senator Scott Wiener, bans face coverings such as ski masks and neck gaiters for federal and local officers during official duties, with exceptions for undercover work, protective equipment like N95 masks, and tactical gear. A companion law requires clear identification showing agency and badge number. Both measures impose compliance deadlines in 2026.
In its filing, the federal government said the laws "cannot stand," citing officers' safety amid what it described as "unprecedented harassment, doxing, and violence," as The Associated Press reports.
The lawsuit pointed to incidents in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were followed home and their families threatened. "Given the personal threats and violence that agents face, federal law enforcement agencies allow their officers to choose whether to wear masks to protect their identities," it said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a press release that California's policies "discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents." The administration also argued the laws violate the Constitution's Supremacy Clause because they regulate federal operations while exempting state police.
California officials defended the measures on Tuesday with Governor Gavin Newsom's office caling masked federal arrests "dystopian" and saying the administration's criticism "has nothing to do with public safety." California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said it is reviewing the complaint, adding that "the practice of ICE agents obscuring their identity has led to a rise in copycats committing crimes, threatening public safety and eroding trust in law enforcement."
Wiener's office also published a statement saying the administration "cares more about its own unchecked power to kidnap and intimidate than about following the Constitution." He noted that "Trump's own FBI recently warned that ICE's secret police tactics are undermining public safety" by inspiring criminals to impersonate federal agents.
"Despite what these would-be authoritarians claim, no one is above the law," Wiener said. "We'll see you in court."
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