Judge Blocks Virginia Mask Ban on Federal Agents, Citing 12-Month Penalty Risk

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 1

Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday, stopping Virginia from enforcing a law that would have barred ICE and Border Patrol agents from wearing masks starting Wednesday.
Payne said the Justice Department was likely to win because the state law intrudes on federal immigration enforcement and likely violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
The judge also found irreparable harm, saying enforcement could expose federal officers to physical danger; DOJ had warned violators faced a Class 1 misdemeanor, up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
The ruling covers only Virginia’s mask-and-identification law, while DOJ’s separate challenge to limits on cooperation agreements between local agencies and ICE remains on track for an Aug. 3 hearing.
The case stems from DOJ’s lawsuit last week against two measures signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, part of a broader clash with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda in Virginia.