Trump administration challenges Maryland’s ban on police using masks – Maryland Matters

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Maryland on the same day the law took effect.

Arrest and charges

The DOJ claims that the Maryland law does “exactly what the Constitution says they cannot: regulate how federal law enforcement agencies and their officers carry out their official duties in those jurisdictions.”

Passed late in the 2026 session, Senate Bill 1 was one of a number of bills passed in response to heightened immigration enforcement in Maryland and around the nation.

The bill makes it a civil violation for police and other law enforcement officers to wear a mask while performing their official duties.

“I’m not surprised. We were thoughtful in how we constructed SB 1.

It does not impede law enforcement’s ability to enforce the law, and it is constitutional,” said Sen.

Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George’s), the bill’s lead sponsor.

“I just look forward to getting a positive result out of the courts that will uphold the fact that it is.”