A federal judge has blocked New York’s mask ban for ICE agents, citing the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, stated that New York cannot impose its own uniform requirements on federal agents simply because it disagrees with how the Federal Government is exercising its authority.

Background

New York’s push to unmask ICE agents is part of a newly minted state law that restricts local cooperation with immigration crackdowns. The law, signed by Governor Hochul in May, bans state and local law enforcement agencies from helping the federal government in civil immigration enforcement cases and bans ICE agents from wearing masks during operations.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New York state in June, challenging the constitutionality of the new law. Lawyers for the DOJ argued that the law would make ICE agents and other federal authorities subject to criminal penalties for wearing masks to protect their identities.

While the judge blocked the mask ban, she denied the federal government’s request to block New York’s ban on 287(g) agreements between ICE and local law enforcement agencies. The judge stated that New York appears to be well-intentioned in its pursuit of transparent policing, but the issue before the court is about constitutionality, not transparency or preferable policy decisions.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.