A Pennsylvania judge last week preliminarily blocked Philadelphia from enforcing a new rule barring ICE agents from wearing masks, hiding badges or using unmarked vehicles, siding with the Justice Department on Supremacy Clause grounds.
The ruling comes amid a broader DOJ campaign: since Trump returned in January 2025, the department says it has filed 27 lawsuits against more than 20 states, counties and cities over policies limiting ICE activity or local cooperation.
Maryland became the latest target after DOJ sued to stop a law effective May 31 that bars state and local officers from probing immigration status or transferring people to federal authorities without a warrant or court order.
Supporters say such laws protect trust and keep local resources from enforcing federal immigration policy, while DOJ argues jurisdictions cannot obstruct federal enforcement; court results have already split, with a New Jersey sanctuary case dismissed last year.
How do legal battles over sanctuary policies redefine the power balance between local and federal governments?
Philadelphia’s Mask Ban Blocked: How the 2026 Federal Injunction Signals a New Phase in the Sanctuary City Wars
Overview
In April, the Philadelphia City Council passed a bill as part of its 'ICE Out' legislative package, aiming to regulate federal agents by banning masks, unmarked vehicles, and requiring visible badges. This created new rules for federal law enforcement in the city. However, on July 2, 2026, a federal judge blocked the mask ban with a preliminary injunction. This local action is part of a larger national conflict, as the Trump administration has been challenging 'sanctuary' policies across the country, arguing that such local laws interfere with federal immigration enforcement and the ability of federal agencies to do their job.