DOJ sues Maryland over mask ban, ID requirements for federal officers

BALTIMORE, Md. — The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of Maryland, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County, challenging laws that prohibit federal officers from wearing masks and require they provide identification in a specific manner.

The Justice Department said the laws in question — Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety §§ 3-207, 3-535, 3-536, Prince George's Co., Md Code § 18-124, and Montgomery Co., Md. Code § 35-13E — are illegal attempts to regulate the federal government.

The department said the laws also threaten the safety of federal officers.

"Under the U.S. Constitution, the Supremacy Clause provides that states and localities do not have the authority to regulate the Federal Government. And they certainly cannot enact laws that place the safety of federal law enforcement at risk and undermine federal operations. We will never tolerate the doxxing or harassment of federal officers, or any law like those in Maryland that enables violent behavior against federal law enforcement officers and their families," said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of actions targeting policies applying to federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.

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