New York, Federal Government File Dueling Lawsuits Over State’s Ban on Masked Officers

Both sides sued over a new law that bars local, state, and federal officers from concealing their identities and also ends local cooperation with ICE.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at a press conference in the Bronx, New York City, on July 31, 2024. Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo

New York and the federal government filed dueling lawsuits on June 22 over new state laws that bar law enforcement officers from concealing their identities using face coverings and end local cooperation with federal immigration agents.

The two suits, filed the same day in different federal courts, are another pending test of whether a state can regulate how federal officers operate within its borders. Both lawsuits ask a federal judge to decide the same question from opposite sides.