ICE agents will no longer be allowed to operate in New York while hiding behind face masks, under new state laws. (Photo: ICE)
Roving bands of ICE agents will no longer be able to hide behind masks as part of new sweeping New York State laws designed to staunch gross abuses during arrests.
The laws are slated to take effect Friday (June 26), but the Trump administration is threatening to sue and surge ICE agents into the state in retaliation.
To headoff the threats, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James today (June 23) sued the Trump administration to protect the new package of state laws.
More Reading: Trump, Republicans Have Turned Immigration Debate Into Absurd Theater; Here Are the Facts
“By hiding their faces and refusing to wear identification, federal immigration officers endanger New Yorkers and intentionally evade accountability,” said James in a statement.
“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 are designed to assure “critical accountability” on immigration and law enforcement operations in the state.
More Reading: Trump Ego, Narcissism Run Amok; Nation Careens From Iran War, Inflation, While He Lines Pockets, Dodges Epstein
Specifically, on measure will prohibits local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from concealing their identity with masks while interacting with the public. All officers will also have to display clear identification.
Another measure prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements to operate as immigration officers or to detain people solely for federal civil immigration violations.
The law also prohibits the use of public subsidies for civil immigration detention facilities, and “ensures local law enforcement can remain focused on local community safety issues,” according to a statement.
The move to sue was prompted after the Trump admistration notifed the state it intended to “sue imminently” to block the laws.
White House Border Czar Thomas Homan has also threatened a surge of federal immigration agents to punish New York.
The state is seeking a declaratory judgement from the court the laws are legal and to prevent the Trump administration from interfering with New York’s authority to protect public safety, promote transparency, and govern the use of state and local resources.
“A badge carries with it a responsibility to uphold the public’s trust. 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,” said Hochul in a statement.
“These laws reflect New York’s values, and we’re not going to let anyone bully us into abandoning them.”
Masked federal immigration officers, often with no identification, have sparked protests across the country in communities where they have used heavy-handed tactics to round up suspected unauthorized immigrants.
Federal agents killed two US citizens in Minneapolis during the 2026 immigration crackdown.
On Jan 7, a masked ICE agent fatally shot the 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her vehicle. Federal officials claimed Good weaponized her car. However, bystander and minute-by-minute video analyses indicated the car was turning away from the agent when shots were fired.
Two weeks later, (Jan. 24) Customs and Border Protection officers fatally shot the 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti during anti-ICE protests. Video evidence showed he was only holding a phone when he was accosted while trying to help a woman, shoved to the ground and shot ten times.
Such situations make it virtually impossible to report misconduct, and seek accountability when officers abuse their authority. In one high-profile operation on Canal Street in New York City, masked agents terrified residents and created chaos in the community.
Two days after the comprehensive legislation passed, the Department of Homeland Security publicly declared that it would attack the law as illegal. Last week, the administration notified New York that it intended to sue the state over the legislation and seek emergency relief before the law takes effect.
New York has a sovereign right under the Tenth Amendment to enact laws that protect public safety, promote transparency, and regulate conduct within its borders, the state asserts.
Hochul and James are asking the court to declare that the Trump administration’s efforts to prevent enforcement of the state’s new immigration protections violate the Tenth Amendment.
They are also asking the court to block the administration from taking any action to prevent enforcement of the laws.