Trump administration sues California for banning agents from wearing face coverings

The Department of Justice is suing California implicit 2 precocious enacted laws that would prohibit national agents from wearing facial coverings and necessitate them to place themselves portion conducting their duties. 

The lawsuit argues California's laws interruption the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, nether which national laws instrumentality precedence implicit authorities laws. The Trump medication besides claims the laws endanger the information of national officers. 

The national authorities said successful tribunal documents it "does not mean to comply." 

"Today we filed a suit to onslaught down California's unconstitutional instrumentality aimed astatine unmasking the faces of our national agents, which volition let criminals to dox them," Bill Essayli, the apical national authoritative successful Los Angeles, wrote on X. "Unconstitutional laws specified arsenic this 1 further endanger our brave men and women protecting our community." 

A spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the suit successful a connection to CBS News.

"If the Trump medication cared fractional arsenic overmuch astir nationalist information arsenic it does astir pardoning cop-beaters, violating people's rights, and detaining U.S. citizens and their kids, our communities would beryllium overmuch safer," spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo wrote. "We'll spot the U.S. Department of Justice successful court."

In September, Newsom signed the "No Secret Police Act" into law. The measurement bans federal, state, and section officials from concealing their individuality with look coverings portion conducting operations. 

The California Highway Patrol would beryllium exempt, arsenic good arsenic undercover operatives, members of SWAT teams and radical who person wellness issues oregon who request masks for aesculapian reasons similar preventing fume inhalation. 

The suit against California argues the authorities is discriminating against national agents arsenic it exempts immoderate authorities officials from the disguise ban. 

Newsom besides signed the "No Vigilantes Act" successful September, which would necessitate non-uniformed national agents operating successful California to visibly show recognition that includes their bureau and either a sanction oregon badge fig starting successful January. 

California Democratic authorities senators pushed for the transition of these bills successful June, successful effect to national agents wearing look coverings portion conducting migration enforcement operations crossed California. 

Both laws would enforce transgression penalties connected national instrumentality enforcement officers for noncompliance successful immoderate cases. 

Critics of the facial covering ban, including the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, reason it would enactment officers and their families' lives and well-being astatine hazard by prohibiting them from protecting their individuality erstwhile needed. State-level critics besides accidental it would lone service to punish section instrumentality enforcement for the actions of national agents.

The Department of Homeland Security called connected Newsom to veto the bills successful September and, upon passage, stated it would not comply. 

"To beryllium clear: We volition NOT comply with Gavin Newsom's unconstitutional disguise ban," DHS posted connected X successful September that called the instrumentality a "PR stunt."

In June, a national mentation of the "No Secret Police Act" was introduced by New York Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat. This enactment would besides prohibition facial coverings and necessitate instrumentality enforcement officers and DHS agents to intelligibly show recognition and insignia erstwhile detaining individuals. 

CBS News has reached retired to California Attorney General Rob Bonta for comment.