Federal judge blocks New York's mask ban for ICE agents
· UPIAug. 4 (UPI) -- A federal judge has blocked a New York State law that banned Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing face coverings and required them to wear identification.
However, Judge Mae D'Agostino refused to block another state law that bans cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement agencies.
D'Agostino said New York "appeared to be well intentioned in its pursuit of transparent policing" but that the face covering and ID laws "directly regulate federal officers in violation of the supremacy clause," making them unconstitutional.
"Settled law establishes that federal, not state, authorities make the policies that animate the enforcement of federal immigration laws," the judge ruled.
"Whether federal law enforcement agencies have chosen to carry out such operations in a sufficiently transparent manner is an important question," D'Agostino said. "But that question is not for this court to answer at the present time."
Other federal laws have blocked similar laws in other states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia.
On the law banning cooperations between ICE and local law enforcement agencies, D'Agostino said it "is an appropriate means of furthering New York's legitimate interests in protecting public welfare and choosing how state and local resources are expended."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Leticia James issued a joint statement after the ruling, saying that the ban on ICE cooperation agreements "is legal and will keep our communities safe."
"Local law enforcement should be focused on local matters, and New York taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for any collaboration with ICE," they said.
As far as the mask ban, the statement said Hochul and James' offices "are reviewing all legal options at this time."
"We stand firm in our belief that masked agents do not make New York safer," they said.