California's Law to Unmask Federal Agents Sparks Lawsuit from Trump Administration
The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California, claiming that the state's recent laws aimed at prohibiting federal agents from wearing facial coverings and requiring them to identify themselves during their duties are unconstitutional.
The Trump administration argues that these laws violate the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, which grants federal laws precedence over state laws. The administration also claims that the laws pose a threat to the safety and well-being of federal officers.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act into law in September, banning federal, state, and local officials from concealing their identities with face coverings while conducting operations. However, some state officials, including those in the California Highway Patrol, are exempt from this ban due to health or medical reasons.
The administration claims that California's laws discriminate against federal agents by exempting certain state officials. Newsom has criticized the lawsuit, saying that if the Trump administration cared about public safety as much as it does about pardoning cop-beaters and violating people's rights, communities would be safer.
In addition to the No Secret Police Act, Newsom also signed the No Vigilantes Act in September, requiring non-uniformed federal agents operating in California to display identification that includes their agency and a name or badge number. Both laws impose criminal penalties on federal law enforcement officers for noncompliance in some cases.
Critics of the facial covering ban argue that it puts officers' lives and well-being at risk by prohibiting them from protecting their identity when needed. The Department of Homeland Security has called Newsom's mask ban a "PR stunt" and stated that it will not comply with the law.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of challenges to Trump-era policies by California, which has been pushing back against federal laws and regulations under Newsom's leadership.
The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California, claiming that the state's recent laws aimed at prohibiting federal agents from wearing facial coverings and requiring them to identify themselves during their duties are unconstitutional.
The Trump administration argues that these laws violate the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, which grants federal laws precedence over state laws. The administration also claims that the laws pose a threat to the safety and well-being of federal officers.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act into law in September, banning federal, state, and local officials from concealing their identities with face coverings while conducting operations. However, some state officials, including those in the California Highway Patrol, are exempt from this ban due to health or medical reasons.
The administration claims that California's laws discriminate against federal agents by exempting certain state officials. Newsom has criticized the lawsuit, saying that if the Trump administration cared about public safety as much as it does about pardoning cop-beaters and violating people's rights, communities would be safer.
In addition to the No Secret Police Act, Newsom also signed the No Vigilantes Act in September, requiring non-uniformed federal agents operating in California to display identification that includes their agency and a name or badge number. Both laws impose criminal penalties on federal law enforcement officers for noncompliance in some cases.
Critics of the facial covering ban argue that it puts officers' lives and well-being at risk by prohibiting them from protecting their identity when needed. The Department of Homeland Security has called Newsom's mask ban a "PR stunt" and stated that it will not comply with the law.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of challenges to Trump-era policies by California, which has been pushing back against federal laws and regulations under Newsom's leadership.
... like, can you believe trump is taking on cali over facial masks? 
what's next? trying to take away their avocados or something? 
i gotta side with newsom on this one tho, if the feds are so concerned about safety, why ain't they fixing their own cops' behavior instead of trying to control state laws? 
and btw, who thought it was a good idea to call that mask ban a "pr stunt"? 
I don't get why they're making such a big deal about this... like, it's just a law that wants to keep people safe, right? 
Interesting how some people think being able to hide their face is a threat to public safety... what if you see something suspicious and the person with a mask doesn't wanna talk? 
The whole thing feels like a PR stunt to me too... like the DHS is trying to make this law unenforceable so they can say "see, it's not working". Newsom's got some solid moves here though - the No Vigilantes Act is a total game-changer for transparency and accountability. 
First off, who exactly does the feds think they're protecting with these facial covering bans? 
Newsom's right on this one - it sounds like the Trump admin is more worried about shielding their own kind from accountability than actual public safety. 
anyway, i think it's kinda cool that cali is pushing back against trump policies lol 
they wanna control everything but cant handle the fact that states have power too 
The idea that a state government needs to sue the federal government over wearing a mask is just ridiculous. Like, what even is the point? The feds are gonna do whatever they want anyway.
If we can't trust our own law enforcement, who can we trust? It's like, come on guys, let's focus on solving real problems instead of getting bogged down in petty squabbles over face coverings.
. Like, no kidding, it was a PR stunt. It was a desperate attempt to look like something's being done about police brutality and racism when nothing actually changes. 
. I mean, who doesn't want to know who's behind the mask, right? It feels like the feds are trying to hide something and it's just not cool 
. And let's be real, if they're so worried about public safety, maybe they should focus on addressing the real issues instead of making a mess out of it 
!
this is gonna sound harsh but california basically just poked a giant thorn into the side of the trump admin 
newsom is right tho if they cared about public safety as much as pardon cop-beaters they'd be doin somethin about all that violence. 