New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, signed legislation on Wednesday to limit the use of face coverings for law enforcement, including federal ICE agents.
The law, which requires officers to present identification before detaining someone, comes as some federal agents have sought to hide their identities during immigration raids in communities across the country.
Sherrill, who was sworn into office in January, said the mask restriction is part of an effort to ensure the safety of residents of the Garden State.
“I can’t believe we have to say this, but in the United States of America, we’re not going to tolerate masked roving militias pretending, pretending to be well-trained law enforcement agents,” she said.
The law is part of a package that the governor said will “protect people’s privacy and their rights” and “strengthen trust between law enforcement and our communities.”
Democrats in Congress and in various state legislatures have sought for months to adopt measures that would ban immigration agents from wearing masks to hide their identities, arguing that such legislation is needed to ensure transparency.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, also signed a law earlier this month limiting face coverings for ICE agents.
The Department of Homeland Security has criticized efforts to unmask ICE agents, including calling the new Washington state measure “irresponsible, reckless and dangerous.”
“To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban,” the department said at the time.
Sherrill’s signature on Wednesday comes as she continues to target the Trump administration’s immigration raids. Earlier this year, she announced a portal to allow residents to upload photos and videos of ICE agents conducting immigration operations.
“If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know,” Sherrill said at the time. “They have not been forthcoming. They will pick people up, they will not tell us who they are, they will not tell us if they’re here legally, they won’t check. They’ll pick up American citizens. They picked up a 5-year-old child. We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get it.”
“We saw people in the street with masks and no insignia. So not accountable at all, hiding from the population — and we saw again and again an undermining of what law enforcement should do to keep people safe,” she added.
The Trump administration is also suing New Jersey over Sherrill’s executive order last month that prohibits federal immigration agents from making arrests in nonpublic areas of state property, including correctional facilities and courthouses. The order also blocks the use of state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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