WASHINGTON: A US federal judge on Monday blocked a California law that would have barred federal immigration agents from covering their faces during enforcement operations, while allowing a separate provision requiring agents to display identification to remain in force.
US District Judge Christina Snyder ruled that the masking ban, formally titled the “No Secret Police Act,” unlawfully discriminated against federal officers because it did not apply to state or local law enforcement officials.
“The proposed ban unlawfully discriminates against federal officers,” Snyder wrote in her decision, adding that the measure could only pass constitutional scrutiny if it were applied equally to state law enforcement agencies.
The legislation was introduced amid mounting criticism from Democratic-led cities over the use of masks by heavily armed and often unidentified officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during operations linked to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
According to AFP, US Attorney General Pam Bondi welcomed the ruling, describing it as a legal victory for the Trump administration after the Justice Department challenged the California law.
“We will continue fighting and winning in court for President Trump’s law-and-order agenda — and we will ALWAYS have the backs of our great federal law enforcement officers,” Bondi said in a post on social media platform X.
However, the court upheld a separate requirement under the law that mandates federal agents to clearly display their identification and badge numbers during operations. California Governor Gavin Newsom described that aspect of the ruling as a partial victory.
“A federal court just upheld California’s law REQUIRING federal agents to identify themselves,” Newsom wrote on X. “California will keep standing up for civil rights and our democracy.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also welcomed the decision, saying it blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to prevent the state from requiring law enforcement officers to visually identify themselves.
“Safe communities thrive on transparency and trust, and California is committed to doing our part to uphold public safety and civil liberties,” Bonta said in a statement.
In her ruling, Judge Snyder indicated that the masking ban could be constitutional if it were expanded to include state law enforcement officers.
Responding to the decision, Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, who co-authored the legislation, said he would immediately amend the law and introduce new legislation extending the ban to cover all state law enforcement officials.
“Now that the Court has made clear that state officers must be included, I am immediately introducing new legislation to include state officers,” Wiener said. “I will do everything in my power to expedite passage of this adjustment to the No Secret Police Act.”
