Federal judge blocks New York’s ban on ICE agents wearing masks
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking New York state from prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks while on duty. However, the court upheld the state's ban on local police departments entering into 287(g) cooperation agreements with federal immigration authorities.
Why it matters
The ruling represents a significant legal clash between state-level immigration policies and federal authority, highlighting the ongoing tension over local law enforcement's role in federal immigration enforcement.
New York’s effort to make immigration agents show their faces was put on hold by a Monday federal court ruling.
U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino issued a preliminary injunction that said state officials can’t prohibit law enforcement officers – including immigration agents – from wearing masks while on duty.
But D’Agostino’s 51-page preliminary ruling let stand a new state prohibition on 287(g) cooperation agreements between local police departments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The restrictions are shaping up to be a political flashpoint between Democratic state officials and the Trump administration, which challenged both provisions.
In a joint statement Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James said the ruling allowing the 287(g) ban to remain in effect shows the law "is legal and will keep our communities safe."
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