Federal Judge Blocks NY ICE Mask Ban, Upholds 287(g)

A federal court has blocked New York from enforcing a new law that would have banned federal immigration agents from wearing masks and other face coverings while on duty. The preliminary injunction, issued on Monday, August 3, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino, prevents state officials from arresting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for concealing their faces in public.

The ruling represents a partial victory for the federal government, which had sued to stop the law. However, the judge simultaneously upheld a separate provision of the same state legislation that bans formal cooperation agreements, known as 287(g) pacts, between local law enforcement and ICE. This leaves New York’s broader effort to limit local entanglement with federal immigration enforcement intact.

Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, signed the legislation, known as the Face Covering and Identification Acts, into law in May. State officials argued the mask ban was necessary for transparency and accountability, contending that masked agents do not make New York safer. The Department of Justice challenged both provisions, arguing they violated the constitutional principle of federal...