Overview
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed three bills Wednesday that restrict masked law‑enforcement interactions, tighten controls on immigration data, and turn a 2018 policing directive into state law.
- The mask law covers federal, state, and local officers, requires identification before an arrest or detention, and allows exceptions for undercover, tactical, safety, and health needs.
- The Department of Homeland Security called the mask ban unconstitutional and said agents will not comply, foreshadowing a direct conflict over who sets the rules on the street.
- The Justice Department is already suing New Jersey over a February order that limits ICE arrests on state property, making rapid court fights over the new laws likely.
- The bills passed largely along party lines, as Washington state adopted a similar mask limit this month and a California law was paused because it did not apply equally to all officers.