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DOJ sues Denver over ordinance banning masks for federal law enforcement officers

By
FOX Local
Colorado
Published October 9, 2026 4:07 PM EDT
Published October 9, 2026 4:07 PM EDT
article

FILE -  ICE agents leave a residence after knocking on the door on Jan. 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • The DOJ sued Denver over laws restricting federal officers’ masks and identification.
    • The department says the laws are unconstitutional and threaten officers’ safety.
    • DOJ says local governments cannot interfere with federal law enforcement operations.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the city of Denver after its public officials attempted to ban masks for federal law enforcement officers. 

DOJ’s lawsuit against Denver

Dig deeper:

The department is suing the city and county of Denver, Mayor Michael Johnson, attorney Michiko Ando Brown, and Police Chief Ronald Thomas. 

In addition to the mask ban, the city has also required federal officers to present identification, a requirement the DOJ claimed "threatens the safety of federal officers." 

Big picture view:

The lawsuit against Denver is one of a series of lawsuits brought on by the Civil Division which targets policies it says are "designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country." 

Other states tried banning masks on federal officers

The backstory:

California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings under a bill that was signed in September following a summer of high-profile raids by immigration officers in Los Angeles.

When the law was blocked, the decision was expected to have implications nationwide for other states that have pursued their own measures to place restrictions on immigration agents.

The Source: Information for this article was taken from a news release from the Department of Justice published on Oct. 8, 2026, and previous reporting by The Associated Press. This story was reported from San Jose. 

Colorado