Justice Department Sues St. Paul and Portland Over Mask Bans for Federal Officers
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced on October 15 that it has sued the cities of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Portland, Oregon, challenging their ordinances that prohibit federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks and require them to provide identification as prescribed by local code — St. Paul Code of Ordinances §§ 268A–268B and Portland City Code §§ 23.30.030 and 23.30.100.
The department alleges the ordinances are unlawful attempts to regulate the federal government and says they threaten the safety of federal officers who have faced harassment, doxxing and violence, chill federal enforcement and compromise sensitive operations. Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said that under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, states and localities cannot regulate the federal government and its law enforcement officers, and cannot enact laws that put federal officers at risk.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 俄勒冈州波特兰市政厅。（图：Another Believer，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons）
