LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge on Monday blocked the enforcement of a California law that prohibited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face masks while on duty.
U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder issued a preliminary injunction against the "No Secret Police Act," or Senate Bill 627, ruling that the measure unlawfully discriminates against the federal government. A preliminary injunction is a court order issued early in a lawsuit that prohibits the parties involved from taking certain actions while the case continues to be decided.
The blocked law, along with a companion measure called the "No Vigilantes Act," or Senate Bill 805, was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 20, 2025, and took effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit the U.S. Department of Justice filed on Nov. 17, 2025. The department argued that the state law violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that federal law generally takes precedence over state laws.
In her order, Snyder agreed with the federal government's argument on discrimination. She noted that while Senate Bill 627 banned masks for federal and local officers, it contained exemptions for California state law enforcement officers.
"Because the No Secret Police Act, as presently enacted, does not apply equally to all law enforcement officers in the state, it unlawfully discriminates against federal officers," Snyder wrote in the opinion.
However, Snyder rejected the federal government's broader argument that masks were essential for all federal operations. She suggested that a neutral ban applicable to all police officers might be constitutional, noting that "federal officers can perform their federal functions without wearing masks."
The legislation was authored by Democratic California State Senators Scott Wiener and Sasha Renee Perez. They introduced the bills in response to reports of aggressive enforcement tactics by unidentified federal agents, which they argued created fear in immigrant communities.
While blocking the mask ban, the court allowed the "No Vigilantes Act" to remain in effect. This law requires officers to visibly display identification, such as a name or badge number.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the ruling as a victory for federal agents, stating that agents had been "harassed, doxxed, obstructed, and attacked on a regular basis just for doing their jobs."
Senator Wiener said Monday that he planned to introduce new legislation immediately to extend the mask ban to state officers, aiming to fix the legal flaw identified by the judge. ■