California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill banning law enforcement from wearing masks during immigration raids, prompting legal challenges and constitutional clashes with the Trump administration. The measure, signed over the weekend, has ignited a potential constitutional conflict as federal officials vow to ignore the state’s ban, asserting that it is an illegal attempt to assert state power over federal officers.
The bill, set to take effect in January, has sparked legal scrutiny, with critics deeming it an overreach. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who has aligned with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement, suggested that News to sue to challenge the measure’s enforceability, arguing that the state lacks jurisdiction over federal law enforcement actions. This dispute highlights the broader tension between state and federal authority in immigration policy, with Newsom’s bill seen as part of a larger effort to counteract the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
Legal experts warn that courts are likely to consider the separation of powers and the supremacy clause, which prioritize federal law over state regulations. The controversy underscores the ongoing debate over public safety, transparency, and the balance of power between state and federal governments. Attorney Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, explained that states can impose reasonable restrictions on federal law enforcement, such as traffic violations, but dictating what officers wear is a different matter. She argued that the state’s restriction on federal officers’ attire could unduly interfere with their law enforcement functions, potentially leading to the bill’s rejection by the courts.
Newsom’s move comes amid heightened tensions over immigration policy, with the Supreme Court recently temporarily clearing the way for ICE authorities to continue conducting immigration stops at farms, car washes, and other locations where they suspect illegal immigrants might be. However, the court did not weigh in on the authorities’ use of identity-concealing masks and neck gaiters. Newsom, a Democrat, has consistently criticized the Trump administration’s immigration tactics, claiming that the use of masks by federal agents, which he described as a way to hide their identities, undermines public trust and poses safety risks for officers and their families.
Essayli accused the governor of using what he described as a