New York Sues Trump Administration to Defend Mask Ban, Vows ‘No One Will Bully Us’

NEW YORK – Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Sunday against the Trump administration, seeking to protect a new package of state laws that ban law enforcement officers—including federal agents—from concealing their identities with masks while interacting with the public, and prohibit local governments from using resources to enforce federal immigration laws.

The preemptive legal action comes just days after the Department of Justice announced its own lawsuit challenging the New York measures, setting up a high-stakes constitutional clash over state authority versus federal enforcement powers. The state’s lawsuit, filed in federal court, asks a judge to declare the laws legal and block the administration from interfering with New York’s authority to govern conduct within its borders.

“By hiding their faces and refusing to wear identification, federal immigration officers endanger New Yorkers and intentionally evade accountability,” said Attorney General James. “Our communities should not have to live in fear of being disappeared by unidentified masked agents. If the federal government wants to brazenly defy our laws, then we will fight tooth and nail in court to ensure transparency and keep all New Yorkers safe.”

The new laws, set to take effect this Friday, include a measure that prohibits local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks or other face coverings that conceal their identity while interacting with the public, and requires all officers to visibly display their department and identifying information. The legislation also includes the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” which prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements that allow them to operate as immigration officers or detain people solely for federal civil immigration violations.

“A badge carries with it a responsibility to uphold the public’s trust,” said Governor Hochul. “New Yorkers deserve to know who is enforcing the law in their communities and have the assurance that local resources are being deployed to protect public safety, not to intimidate or advance the agenda of a rogue federal agency. These laws reflect New York’s values, and we’re not going to let anyone bully us into abandoning them.”

The state’s lawsuit cites a high-profile operation on Canal Street in New York City, where masked agents reportedly terrified residents and created chaos. The state argues that masked federal immigration officers, part of the administration’s mass deportation agenda, have flooded communities nationwide, often failing to clearly identify themselves—sowing fear, undermining public trust, and increasing the risk that bad actors could impersonate law enforcement.

Two days after the comprehensive legislation passed, the Department of Homeland Security publicly declared it would attack the law as illegal. Last week, the administration notified New York it intended to sue and seek emergency relief before the law takes effect. The state’s lawsuit asserts its sovereign right under the Tenth Amendment to enact laws that protect public safety, promote transparency, and regulate conduct within its borders.

“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “New York’s anti-law enforcement policies regulate the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand.”
“Governor Hochul cannot tell Federal officers how to do their job,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “And she certainly cannot prohibit them from ensuring their own safety in conducting Federal law enforcement operations. Our suit today stops New York’s unconstitutional efforts.”
“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like New York’s,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

The state is asking the court to declare that the administration’s efforts to prevent enforcement of New York’s immigration protections violate the Tenth Amendment, and to block the administration from taking any action to prevent enforcement of the laws.