US judge blocks New York's ban on ICE officers wearing face masks

US judge blocks New York's ICE mask ban. (AP Photo) A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York from enforcing a law that bars US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requires them to display visible identification, ruling that the measures are likely unconstitutional.However, the court allowed another provision restricting local police cooperation with ICE to remain in force.Judge cites Constitution, not policyIn a preliminary ruling, US District Judge Mae D'Agostino said New York's efforts to promote transparency in policing may be well-intentioned, but the court's decision was based on constitutional principles rather than public policy, The Guardian reported.The judge held that the Trump administration had shown a strong likelihood of succeeding in its argument that the state law violates the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, which prevents states from regulating federal law enforcement officers.The ruling means local police cannot arrest or penalise ICE agents solely for wearing face coverings while carrying out federal immigration operations.D'Agostino acknowledged that masked federal officers without visible identificat...