The Empire Strikes Back: Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging California Mask Ban and Identification Requirements for Federal Officers
The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against California, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Robert Bonta challenging their attempts to bars federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks. The basic claim is that state efforts to regulate federal law officers is preempted by federal law under the Supremacy Clause.
The announcement states that the California laws "[n]ot only are . . . illegal attempts to discriminate against and regulate the federal government, but . . . threaten the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedent[ed] wave of harassment, doxxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations. The danger is acute."
