NEW: Trump Sues California Over Mask Ban

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has launched a major legal battle against California, accusing Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta of endangering federal law enforcement officers with two new state laws that restrict the use of masks and identity-protecting gear by federal agents operating in the state.

Filed Monday in federal court, the lawsuit argues that California’s so-called “No Secret Police Act” and “No Vigilantes Act” illegally attempt to regulate federal officers, violating the Constitution while placing agents at risk amid what officials describe as an alarming spike in political harassment and violence.

According to the complaint, California’s laws expose federal agents to doxxing, intimidation, and physical danger by prohibiting them from shielding their identities while carrying out sensitive operations. Senior Justice Department officials say the policy does not just violate federal supremacy but actively undermines law enforcement safety at a time when hostility toward federal agents is rising sharply.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the California laws in a forceful statement, arguing that federal officers are being deliberately targeted for political reasons.

“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” Bondi said. “California’s anti law enforcement policies discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand.”

Support for the lawsuit also came from Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division, who said the federal government has both the authority and obligation to protect its officers from unconstitutional state interference.

“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like California’s,” Shumate said.

Federal prosecutors in California echoed the warning, pointing to a surge in attacks on agents tied to what they describe as increasingly reckless rhetoric from state and local politicians.

“Assaults against federal agents have exploded over the last few months, thanks in part to recklessness political rhetoric aiming to delegitimize our brave agents,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Unconstitutional laws such as this one further endanger our brave men and women protecting our community. Our immigration enforcement will continue unabated and unhindered by unconstitutional state laws enacted by irresponsible politicians.”

The administration argues that the mask restrictions do not simply create risk. They also threaten to chill federal law enforcement operations, hinder undercover investigations, and compromise national security efforts that depend on anonymity.

Newsom pushed back, arguing that the mask ban is a necessary response to federal agents operating without identification during street detentions tied to immigration enforcement.

“It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie. Unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing,” Newsom said at a past press conference. “Immigrants have rights, and we have the right to stand up and push back, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”

Bondi has made cracking down on state level resistance a top priority since taking office. On her first day, she directed the Civil Division to identify local policies that violate federal law or obstruct federal officers. The new case against California follows similar lawsuits filed in New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, part of what officials describe as a long term strategy to dismantle state attempts to undercut federal authority.