Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday sued New Jersey's Governor and Attorney General over a law banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from wearing masks.
In the lawsuit, the DOJ argues that New Jersey's anti-mask law violates the US Constitution because of the "Supremacy Clause," which establishes federal law as superior to state law.
Additionally, the DOJ claims that ICE agents need to hide their identities to protect themselves from retribution and so that they can maintain an element of surprise in their operations.
"Not only is the law an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedented wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence," read a statement put out by the DOJ.
"Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations."
"The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like New Jersey's," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate in a statement.
Both New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and the state's Attorney General Jennifer Davenport were directly named in the lawsuit.
On Wednesday, Sherrill leapt to her government's defense and said that it was reasonable to expect all law enforcement officers, regardless of whether they are run by the state or federal government, to be transparent.
"If ICE cannot meet our standards here, which are admittedly very high, then they shouldn't be operating here," Sherrill said.