Los Angeles, California - The Trump administration has sued over a California law that bars federal immigration officials from wearing face masks while conducting raids.
"California Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to 'push[] back' against the President's commitment to enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws. His latest resistance – imposing a mask ban and identification requirement on federal agents operating in California – violates the United States Constitution," argues the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California.
Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act and No Vigilantes Act into law in September to bar federal law enforcement officers, including immigration agents, from wearing masks and require them to visibly display ID when conducting operations in the state. The measures are set to take effect on January 1.
The new complaint claims the No Secret Police Act "discriminates against the Federal Government by applying its requirements to federal law enforcement officers but not California State officers."
"Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a press release.
"California’s anti-law enforcement policies discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand."
Masked ICE agents inspire copycat crimes
The Trump administration has deployed masked agents to cities across the country to carry out violent detentions and mass deportations. There have also been reports of people impersonating ICE agents to rob, kidnap, or assault others.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said in a statement, "It's problematic when Californians can't tell the difference between a law enforcement officer who is charged with protecting them and a criminal who is attempting to cause them harm."
"The FBI itself has warned 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."