Federal judge blocks Virginia mask ban on federal officers

A federal judge has blocked a new Virginia law that would have barred federal law enforcement officers from wearing face masks and required them to display identification, issuing a preliminary injunction just hours before the measure was set to take effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The ruling sides with the U.S. Department of Justice, which sued the state last month, arguing the law violates the constitutional principle of federal supremacy.

U.S. District Judge Robert Payne found the federal government is likely to succeed in its legal challenge. In his order, he cited the Constitution's Supremacy Clause and concluded that Virginia cannot regulate the operations of federal officers. He also determined that enforcing the law could expose federal employees to a real risk of physical harm while performing their duties.

The law, signed by Governor Abigail Spanberger in May, would have prohibited federal agents, primarily from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, from wearing facial coverings except in limited, specified circumstances. It also mandated that officers wear a visible badge displaying their name. Violations could have resulted in misdemeanor charges...