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US federal judge blocks New York’s ban on ICE officers wearing masks
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge has temporarily blocked a New York law that bans ICE agents from wearing face coverings and requires visible identification, citing constitutional concerns related to the supremacy clause.
- The judge allowed New York’s separate law prohibiting local police cooperation with ICE under 287(g) agreements to stand, viewing it as a legitimate state interest in public welfare.
- The ruling follows similar federal blocks in other states like California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania against mask bans on federal immigration agents, though identification requirements remain in place.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul supports the cooperation ban as a safety measure and is considering appealing the mask ban ruling, while the Department of Homeland Security criticizes the state laws as unconstitutional.
- The issue of ICE cooperation is a key point in Hochul’s re-election campaign, with her opponent Bruce Blakeman opposing the cooperation ban and supporting federal immigration enforcement tactics.
