US Judge Rejects California’s ICE Mask Ban For Federal Agents

A federal judge on February 9 blocked part of a California law that bans federal officers from wearing masks while on duty but upheld a separate requirement that officers display identification. U.S District Judge Christina A. Synder issued the ruling after hearings at a federal court in Los Angeles.

Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, the No Secret Police Act prevents law enforcement, including agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), from using masks, disguises, or other methods to conceal their identities during arrests. A related measure, the No Vigilantes Act, introduced by State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, requires federal officers to visibly display identification during operations in California.

Newsom said in a statement that Snyder’s decision on the identification requirement was “a clear win for the rule of law,” adding that “no badge and no name mean no accountability.”

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement on X that the ruling represented a significant legal victory. “ANOTHER key court victory thanks to our outstanding Justice Department attorneys. Following our arguments, a district court in California BLOCKED the enforcement of a law that would have banned federal agents from wearing masks to protect their identities.”

Bondi added federal agents face harassment and threats while performing their duties. “These federal agents are harassed, doxed, obstructed, and attacked on a regular basis just for doing their jobs. We have no tolerance for it,” she said.

Newsom signed the provisions in September amid President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests over immigration enforcement operations. The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued to block the laws in November and said it would not comply, according to Reuters.

Snyder, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, said the mask restriction improperly targets federal officers by treating them differently from state law enforcement personnel, who were excluded from the ban.

The judge also rejected arguments that masking is essential to federal operations, noting that masks worn by ICE and other immigrant agents are not mandatory.

"If masking or concealing identification were as critical to federal operations as the United States asserts, the court would expect the federal agencies would not leave such decisions to the discretion of individual officers," the 33-page order states.

However, Snyder upheld the identification requirement.

“The Court finds that these Acts serve the public interest by promoting transparency which is essential for accountability and public trust," the ruling states according to Law and Crime.

"Moreover, the court finds no cognizable justification for law enforcement officers to conceal their identities during their performance of routine, non-exempted law enforcement functions and interactions with the general public."

The court stayed its ruling until February 19, allowing the DOJ time to file appeals before the law takes effect.