Judge blocks New York law banning federal agents wearing masks
A federal judge has blocked a New York law that sought to prevent federal agents from wearing face coverings or require them to display visible identification. The court ruled that the state law likely violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution by attempting to regulate federal law enforcement.
Why it matters
This ruling reinforces the legal boundaries between state authority and federal jurisdiction, particularly regarding policing and immigration enforcement.
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NEW YORK (AP) — New York can’t ban federal agents from wearing face coverings or require that they wear visible identification, a federal judge ruled Monday.
The ruling comes after a federal judge earlier this year blocked a similar law in California that was enacted after the Trump administration aggressively worked to increase immigration arrests .
For the Northern District of New York, U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino wrote that while New York “appears to be well-intentioned in its pursuit of transparent policing,” that’s not what the court is deciding.
“The issue now before the Court is about constitutionality—not transparency or preferable policy decisions,” she wrote.
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