The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Friday against Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong, challenging a state law that makes federal agents remove masks and display identification while operating in the state. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court, argues that the law interferes with federal immigration enforcement and violates the Supremacy Clause.
The legislation, enacted this spring after clearing the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and winning Lamont’s signature, creates “protected areas” where arrests cannot be made solely on the basis of a civil offense such as an immigration violation. The protected zones include schools, hospitals, social service agency facilities and houses of worship. The mask ban applies to all law enforcement officers, not only federal agents.
The law also prohibits Connecticut state and local police from hiring any former federal law enforcement officer who was found guilty of misconduct or who retired while under investigation. A separate provision requires officers to complete 480 hours of training before being hired by state agencies.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal battles between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states that have sought to restrict federal immigration enforcement. Last month, a federal appeals court blocked a California law that required federal agents to wear identification. The Justice Department has also sued New Jersey over limits on ICE arrests.
Attorney General William Tong said in a statement that the state would vigorously defend the lawsuit. His office did not specify a timeline for the state’s formal response in court. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing.