LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked a California law from taking effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces, but will still require them to wear clear identification showing their agency number and badge.
California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings under a bill that was signed into law in September after a summer of high-profile raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Los Angeles.
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in November challenging the laws, arguing that they would threaten the safety of officers facing harassment, doxing, and violence and that they violated the constitution because the state is directly regulating the federal government.
Judge Christina Snyder said she issued the initial ruling because the mask ban as enacted does not also apply to state law enforcement authorities, thereby discriminating against the federal government. The ruling could have national implications as states grapple with how to deal with federal agents enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
He left open the possibility for future legislation banning federal agents from wearing masks if it applied to all law enforcement agencies, with Snyder writing “the Court finds that federal officers may perform their federal functions without wearing masks.” The sentence will come into effect on February 19.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill in September that prohibits some law enforcement officers from wearing masks, neck gaiters, and other face coverings. It was scheduled to come into effect on January 1 but was put on hold due to the lawsuit.
In addition to exempting state law enforcement officers, it made exceptions for undercover agents, protective equipment such as N95 respirators or tactical gear, and other situations where not wearing a mask would jeopardize an operation. Snyder sided with the federal government, which argued that this exemption was discriminatory against federal agents.
Newsom also signed into law a measure requiring law enforcement to wear clear identification showing their agency number and badge while on the job, which was challenged by the federal government but upheld by the judge.
California State Senator Scott Weiner, who proposed the original bill to ban face coverings, said Monday that he would immediately introduce new legislation to include state police in the law.
“ICE and the Border Patrol are covering their faces to maximize their campaign of terror and to insulate themselves from accountability,” Weiner said in a news release. “We will make sure that our mask ban can be enforced.”
In a Jan. 14 hearing, Snyder repeatedly asked the government’s attorney, Tiberius Davis, to explain why the mask ban would hinder federal law enforcement in the performance of their duties, if officers rarely wear masks before 2025.
Davis cited claims from the US Department of Homeland Security that there has been a multi-fold increase in attacks and threats against federal officials. He also brought up an incident in Los Angeles where three women are accused of livestreaming while following an ICE agent home and posting the address on Instagram.
“There is a real deterrent on the officer’s safety and ability to perform his duties,” Davis said.
Cameron Bell, the attorney for the California Department of Justice, disputed his claims, saying there was no concrete evidence that federal agents could not perform their duties without face coverings.
Bell referenced statements from US citizens who were detained by federal agents but thought they were being kidnapped.
“It’s obvious why these laws are in the public interest,” Bell said.
The federal government also argued in legal briefs that allowing California’s legislation could lead other states to “be encouraged to impose similar unconstitutional restrictions.”
Davis cited a statement by Newsom in July 2025 during an interview posted online discussing the mask ban bill, saying, “It appears that we don’t have the legal authority for federal agents but we do for other law enforcement authorities.”
Los Angeles County supervisors voted in December to enact a local ordinance prohibiting law enforcement from wearing masks that went into effect on January 8. However, the sheriff’s department said it would not enforce the ordinance until the court ruled on the statewide mask ban. The Los Angeles Police Department had also said it would not enforce the mask ban.