{"id":2628763,"date":"2026-07-12T06:38:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T10:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-states-block-ice-agents-from-wearing-masks\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T06:43:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T10:43:42","slug":"can-states-block-ice-agents-from-wearing-masks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-states-block-ice-agents-from-wearing-masks\/","title":{"rendered":"Can states block ICE agents from wearing masks?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcan-states-block-ice-agents-from-wearing-masks%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2628763&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In Orange County, New York, residents and demonstrators protested the planned construction of a new ICE detention center amid heavy rain. Signs like \u201cNo ICE Gestapo\u201d and \u201cStop the ICE gulag\u201d reflected opposition to immigration enforcement policies. This protest is part of a broader national trend where activism against immigration measures increased in 2025, especially in response to the Trump administration\u2019s deportation efforts. <\/p>\n<p>Demonstrations are only one tactic-states lead by Democrats have also challenged federal immigration enforcement through courts and legislation. Some states enacted laws requiring federal agents to display IDs or forbidding face coverings, prompting lawsuits from the Justice Department. The DOJ argues that such laws infringe upon federal authority and violate the Constitution\u2019s Supremacy Clause, which establishes federal law as the highest authority. Legal scholars note that thes state laws target federal officers specifically and raise constitutional issues about the limits of state power over federal operations.<\/p>\n<p>Experts suggest that courts will likely dismiss these state laws, reaffirming the principle that states cannot regulate federal duties or interfere with federal agents, based on historical Supreme Court rulings like McCulloch v. Maryland and Johnson v.Maryland. Although these legal cases argue that states can regulate some activities involving federal entities, laws intended explicitly to obstruct federal enforcement are seen as unconstitutional.Sometimes, such laws are viewed as political signals-&#8220;virtue signaling&#8221;-aimed at voters rather than practical measures. these legal disputes are unlikely to substantially alter the balance of power between state and federal governments but serve to illustrate ongoing tensions in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/reputed-illegal-immigrants-caught-on-video-landing-at-wealthy-california-marina-before-disappearing\/\" title=\"Footage Captures Notorious Undocumented Immigrants Arriving at Affluent California Harbor Before Vanishing\">immigration policy enforcement<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As rain fell outside an empty warehouse in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"61\">New York\u2019s<\/a> Orange County last week, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4641852\/new-york-democrats-protest-empty-ice-warehouse\/\">hundreds of demonstrators<\/a> gathered to protest what is planned to be the site of a new <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ice\/\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a> detention center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo ICE Gestapo,\u201d one sign read. Another declared, \u201cStop the ICE gulag.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4642365\/mexico-criminal-complaints-us-ice-shooting\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Mexico vows to file criminal complaints in US after ICE shooting in Texas<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4641977\/mamdani-map-nyc-immigrant-outrage-italian-community\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Mamdani\u2019s map of NYC immigrant neighborhoods outrages Italian community<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4641852\/new-york-democrats-protest-empty-ice-warehouse\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>New York Democrats join protest outside empty ICE warehouse ahead of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ice-sweeps-into-nyc-and-immediately-scores-a-big-win-infamous-suspect-taken-into-custody\/\" title=\"ICE Sweeps Into NYC and Immediately Scores a Big Win - Infamous Suspect Taken Into Custody\">promised immigration crackdown<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The protest reflects a broader national trend. An <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/bridgingdivides.princeton.edu\/issue-brief-mapping-rise-immigration-related-demonstrations-early-2025\">analysis<\/a> from Princeton University found immigration-related demonstrations reached record levels in 2025 as activists mobilized against the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration\u2019s<\/a> mass deportation efforts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But demonstrations are only one front in the fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic-led states have increasingly turned to the courts and state legislatures to challenge federal immigration enforcement. Several have passed laws requiring federal immigration officers to display identification or restricting the use of face coverings during enforcement operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"167\"> Justice Department<\/a> has responded with lawsuits against states including <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"60\">California<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-jersey\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1065\">New Jersey<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"61\">New York<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"96\">Virginia<\/a>, and several New England states, arguing they are attempting to regulate how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-memo-undercuts-jan-6-committees-case-shows-trump-gave-order-to-make-sure-rally-was-safe-event\/\" title=\"Pentagon Memo Undercuts Jan 6 Committee&#039;s Case, Shows Trump Gave Order to Make Sure Rally Was &quot;Safe Event&quot;\">federal officers carry<\/a> out their duties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDespite that well-established precedent, New York recently passed bills, which Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law, that purport to do exactly what constitutional law says it cannot: subject federal officers to criminal laws that seek to regulate how those officers carry out their federal duties,\u201d the Justice Department wrote in its most recent complaint, noting Hochul said the legislation was intended \u201cto hold ICE accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both sides argue the measures are rooted in public safety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Justice Department says face coverings protect immigration agents and their families from doxxing, harassment, and potential retaliation. State officials counter that requiring identification increases transparency and accountability during enforcement operations, arguing residents should be able to identify officers exercising police powers in their communities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The legal dispute has become the latest battle over the balance of power between states and the federal government, with constitutional scholars saying the central question is not whether ICE agents should wear masks, but whether states have the authority to dictate how federal officers perform their duties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is a long-standing doctrine in constitutional law known as federal supremacy,\u201d Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cIt comes straight from the Constitution, called the Supremacy Clause, and what it says is that federal law is the supreme law of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supremacy Clause bars states from directly regulating the federal government or discriminating against federal officials carrying out their duties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eugene Volokh, another constitutional law scholar and UCLA School of Law professor, similarly argued that the cases center on the limits of state power rather than the underlying immigration debate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGenerally speaking, states cannot tell the federal government what to do,\u201d Volokh said, pointing to both the Supremacy Clause and the related doctrine of intergovernmental immunity, which limits states\u2019 ability to regulate federal activities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both experts pointed to Supreme Court precedent dating back more than two centuries. Blackman cited the court\u2019s 1819 decision in <em>McCulloch v. Maryland<\/em>, where the justices ruled Maryland could not tax the federally chartered Bank of the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Volokh pointed to the court\u2019s 1920 decision in <em>Johnson v. Maryland<\/em>, in which the justices held that Maryland could not require a postal worker to obtain a state driver\u2019s license before operating a federal mail vehicle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s an immunity of the instruments of the United States from state control in the performance of their duties,\u201d Volokh said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The experts argued the ICE mask cases could present an even clearer example of that principle because the laws specifically target federal officers rather than applying broadly to all people within a state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s pretty clear what the state is trying to do is not impose a general rule on absolutely everybody, but to target a certain kind of federal government action that it doesn\u2019t like,\u201d Volokh said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blackman made a similar distinction, arguing that states can regulate some activity involving federal facilities, such as health inspections or building codes, when those rules do not interfere with federal operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he said the ICE mask laws are different because their purpose is to alter how federal agents conduct enforcement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe express purpose of this mask law is to interfere with the federal mission,\u201d Blackman said. \u201cI just don\u2019t see any credible argument how this is valid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The states\u2019 strongest argument, the experts acknowledged, is that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >governments routinely impose generally applicable laws<\/a> that federal officials must follow. Federal employees, for example, are not immune from all state criminal laws or traffic regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Volokh said the distinction is whether a state law applies to everyone or specifically targets federal operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf there\u2019s some sort of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-gov-abbott-blasts-biden-executive-orders-on-guns-a-show-americans-gun-rights-critical-at-this-time\/\" title=\"GOP Gov. Abbott Blasts Biden: Executive Orders On Guns A \u2018Show,\u2019 Americans\u2019 Gun Rights Critical At This Time\">federal gun control law<\/a>, how you best enforce that, how the ATF would best do its job is a matter for the federal government,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a matter for state government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While both scholars predicted the states\u2019 laws are unlikely to survive legal challenges, they said the measures may still serve a political purpose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blackman described the laws as \u201cvirtue signaling,\u201d arguing Democratic-led states want to show voters they are pushing back against the Trump administration\u2019s immigration policies even if courts ultimately block the measures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Volokh offered a similar explanation, saying lawmakers sometimes pass laws they expect courts to strike down because they want to send a message.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSometimes states enact laws recognizing that they\u2019re probably going to be struck down because they want to send a message,\u201d Volokh said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that officials may be trying to communicate to voters: \u201cWe\u2019re on your side. Maybe the federal government will stop us, but we\u2019re at least trying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4636515\/reflecting-pool-algae-pipes-burgum\/\">REFLECTING POOL ALGAE WAS \u2018IN THE PIPES\u2019 BURGUM SAYS DESPITE TRUMP BLAMING VANDALS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the political stakes, the experts said the cases are unlikely to dramatically reshape the relationship between the federal government and the states. Instead, they expect courts to reaffirm existing principles of federal supremacy, pointing to a recent 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov\/datastore\/opinions\/2026\/04\/22\/26-926.pdf\">ruling<\/a> that already struck down California\u2019s ICE mask-banning law. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019ll win, so probably not,\u201d Blackman said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be the status quo.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Protesters oppose new ICE detention site in Orange County<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2628764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2178564_sd_687e3c22c0039_1753103394.webp?w=640","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[8364,3813,4438,4326,42178],"class_list":["post-2628763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ice","tag-immigration","tag-masks","tag-policy","tag-state-laws"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2178564_sd_687e3c22c0039_1753103394.webp?w=640","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2628763"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2628767,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628763\/revisions\/2628767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2628764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2628763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2628763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2628763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}