Trump administration orders federal authorities to ignore California mask law

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The Trump administration ordered federal authorities Friday to ignore new legislation in California banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks to conceal their identity.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last Saturday signed the bill — which is slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2026 — making face coverings of local, state and federal officials a misdemeanor crime and imposing a civil penalty against officers for “tortious conduct.”

“Governor Newsom is confused about his role under the U.S. Constitution,” Bill Essayli, acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a Friday post on social platform X. “He oversees California, not federal agencies. He should review the Supremacy Clause.”

“California’s law to ‘unmask’ federal agents is unconstitutional, as the state lacks jurisdiction to interfere with federal law enforcement. I have directed federal agencies to disregard this state law and adhere to federal law and agency policies,” Essayli wrote in the post, which also featured a screenshot of his letter to agency heads.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-administration-orders-federal-authorities-202454736.html

State's rights for me but not for thee.

[Midnight Writer]

1. Federal agents are not authorized to violate State laws.

For example, a fed cannot commit an armed robbery and walk away without consequences. Robbery is (in most cases) a violation of State law.

To say federal agents are immune from State laws means they can rape, kill, steal, assault, or damn near anything else they want.

That is neither the intent nor the implementation of the Supremacy Clause.

To overrule State law, Congress must act with a law overriding the State law.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

7. Congress doesnt need to do anything in this case

States cannot regulate how the Federal government, its agencies, or its employees carry out their official duties.

Yes, federal agents can be held accountable by state authorities for violations of state law outside of official duties. They cannot be held accountable for violations of state law while carrying out official duties.

So they can arrest an ICE agent for something like a DUI, but they can't dictate what ICE can or cannot wear during official operations.

[kimbutgar]

2. A lot can happen between now and January 1st.

The orange turd might even be in hell by then! 🙏🤞👍

[lame54]

3. Arrest them

[Greg_In_SF]

4. Medical masks are exempted

so perhaps they will just use those. Also, local police cannot arrest federal agents unless they are breaking State law outside the scope of their federal duties.

[Wiz Imp]

5. Every single Federal agent who breaks this law needs to be immediately arrested by local or state law enforcement

and thrown into jail.

[Greg_In_SF]

8. They cannot

do that.

[MichMan]

6. State level law enforcement is exempt from the law

That part of the OP is false

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Highway Patrol has been exempted from a proposal to make sure law enforcement agents do not conceal their identity.

The original bill prevented all law enforcement, such as federal immigration agents, from wearing masks or other types of face coverings.

But the amendment, first reported by Politico and KCRA, now applies the ban only to local and federal authorities, and officers from other states operating in California.

The CHP and other state-level agencies are now excluded, which has drawn criticism from at least two state police agencies.

Wonder why they were given a pass?

https://www.ktvu.com/news/chp-exempted-from-california-police-unmasking-bill

[newdeal2]

9. All I heard is that Trump wants mask mandates

Can we get that message out to MAGA?