Overview
- U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder issued a preliminary injunction blocking California’s prohibition on federal officers covering their faces, citing unequal treatment because state officers were exempt; the order takes effect February 19.
- The court left in place a separate California rule requiring officers operating in the state to display visible identification showing their agency and a name or badge number.
- In her ruling, Snyder wrote that federal officers can carry out their duties without masks and signaled a similar ban could survive if applied uniformly to federal, state and local officers.
- The Trump administration’s Justice Department argued the mask ban endangered agents and unlawfully regulated federal functions, but the judge rejected the claim of direct regulation while accepting the discrimination concern.
- Governor Gavin Newsom hailed the identification ruling as a win for accountability, Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized that visual ID remains required, and bill author Sen. Scott Wiener said he will introduce an amendment to include state officers, with broader implications for other states weighing similar measures.