Court rules against California ICE mask ban in win for Trump administration

Published February 9, 2026 8:00pm ET



A federal judge in California blocked enforcement of a new state law on Monday that would have barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing face coverings, handing the Trump administration a court victory amid escalating clashes over immigration enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder ruled in a 30-page decision that California’s mask ban unlawfully discriminated against federal officers by exempting state police while restricting immigration agents and other federal law enforcement. The law, Senate Bill 627, had prohibited local and federal ICE officers from wearing masks except for undercover work or health reasons.

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