A Los Angeles‑based federal judge on Monday blocked California from enforcing its law that would require ICE agents to remove masks during immigration enforcement operations.
Judge Christina Snyder, appointed during the Clinton administration, argued that the “No Secret Police Act” and “No Vigilantes Act” discriminated against the federal government by violating the Supremacy Clause.
Under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state or local law, rendering the lower-level law unenforceable.
Although Snyder blocked the mask ban, she upheld the state’s “No Vigilantes Act,” which was signed into law at the same time. The law requires any law enforcement officer operating in California to visibly display identification that includes their agency and either their name or badge number. Like the “No Secret Police Act,” this law also has exceptions for certain operations, though it notably also applies to state police.
The judge’s ruling allows legislators to rewrite the ban without the exemption for state police. It would be difficult for Gov. Newsom to sign such a law.
