MARYLAND - The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Maryland over a new state law restricting federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty and requiring them to display identification.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court, challenges Maryland's Senate Bill 1, which took effect Thursday, Oct. 1, along with similar laws in Prince George's and Montgomery counties.
Maryland's new law generally prohibits law enforcement officers from covering their faces while performing their duties, with several exceptions, including for undercover operations and certain protective equipment. It also requires officers to display identification and, in some circumstances, verbally identify themselves.
The law applies to federal, state, and local officers.
The Justice Department argues Maryland cannot regulate how federal officers perform their duties and says the requirements violate the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause.
The DOJ also argues concealing an officer's identity can be necessary to protect federal agents and their families from harassment, threats and doxxing.
The complaint specifically cites an alleged incident involving an employee assigned to ICE's Washington/Salisbury Sub-Office. According to the DOJ, the employee's spouse was targeted in a December of 2025 social media post that identified her husband's affiliation with ICE and included what the DOJ referred to as a threat.
The lawsuit also notes Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown raised constitutional concerns before the legislation became law, writing in May that there was a "high likelihood" a court would find the provisions unconstitutional as applied to federal officers.
“These Maryland state and local laws are a direct regulation of federal law enforcement operations and threaten severe consequences for officers and public safety alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Federal Government, not state and local governments, gets to decide which equipment federal officers may or may not wear when performing their official duties.”
The DOJ is asking a judge to block Maryland, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County from enforcing the restrictions against federal law enforcement officers and declare the provisions invalid as applied to them.
