New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a bill into law this week requiring law enforcement officers to show their faces during certain public interactions and present identification before arrests or detentions, setting up a conflict with the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS told NBC10 that federal immigration officers "will not abide by this unconstitutional ban."
Sherrill, a Democrat, signed the measure Wednesday as part of a three-bill package, her office said, aimed at protecting constitutional rights and public safety.
In a release on Wednesday, Sherrill said the package was "banning ICE agents from wearing masks" and protecting residents' privacy from federal overreach.
Reuters reported that one of the laws requires officers to "reveal facial identity during certain public interactions" and identify themselves before making an arrest or detention.
The central dispute involves whether a state can require federal officers to remove face coverings.
NBC10 reported that a DHS spokesperson called the law "despicable" and said federal officers would not comply.
The spokesperson argued that the Constitution's supremacy clause preempts the measure and said ICE officers use face coverings to protect themselves and their families from threats.
The spokesperson cited a more than 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats.
"Senate Democrats want to ban ICE officers from wearing masks, so their left-wing street militias can dox the officers and terrorize the officers' wives and children at their homes," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on Wednesday.
The dispute follows months of similar tensions between DHS and state officials over the use of masks by federal immigration officers.
DHS and ICE have argued that masks are a safety measure rather than a tactical choice.
The agencies advanced that argument during operations in Los Angeles in June 2025, when DHS said criticism of masked enforcement contributed to a more than 400% increase in assaults on officers.
Days later, officials said agents faced a 500% increase in assaults and that family members had been "doxed and targeted as well."
By September, DHS had urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto the state's No Secret Police Act, citing a 1,000% increase in assaults.
After Newsom signed the measure, DHS said it would "not abide by Newsom's unconstitutional ban."
The Department of Justice sued California in November over the law.
DHS has continued to cite rising threat levels into 2026, including a reported 1,347% increase in assaults, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats.
An ICE FAQ published Feb. 4 states that officers wear masks "to prevent doxing."
The Department of Justice also sued New Jersey in February over Sherrill's executive order No. 12.
That order restricted federal immigration arrests in nonpublic areas of state property and barred such property from being used as a staging or processing base for civil immigration enforcement.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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