Philly can't force ICE agents to unmask, federal judge rules

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Updated July 2, 2026, 6:48 p.m. ET | Published July 2, 2026, 3:18 p.m. ET


Philadelphia can’t prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other federal officers from concealing their identities, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Chad F. Kenney issued an order preventing Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration and District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office from barring federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks, intentionally covering their badges, or using unmarked vehicles.

The U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prevents states — or a city in this case — from imposing requirements on how federal agencies carry out their duties, the judge appointed by President Donald Trump said.

When City Council passed the bill in April as part of the ICE Out legislative package, the lawmakers “attempted to sidestep the Constitution’s clear mandate and disregarded this fundamental principle of law that has informed American jurisprudence for over 200 years,” Kenney’s opinion said.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/ice-mask-ban-immigration-federal-officers-lawsuit-trump-injunction-20260702.html