Overview
- The Justice Department filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, arguing the state’s rules unlawfully regulate federal operations and threaten agent safety.
- California’s statute, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, bans most on-duty face coverings for local and federal officers and requires visible identification that shows agency and badge number.
- The state set implementation timelines that include a visible ID policy by January 1, 2026 and a separate policy on mask use by July 1, 2026.
- The law carves out exceptions for undercover work, medical masks such as N95 respirators, and tactical gear, and it does not apply to state police.
- The DOJ cites harassment and doxxing of ICE personnel, including a Los Angeles case where three women allegedly followed an agent home and posted his address online, while Newsom defends the law as a transparency measure in response to masked federal raids.