The Department of Homeland Security has instructed federal immigration officers that they are not required to comply with state and local laws restricting the use of face masks while carrying out their official duties, according to an internal agency memo reviewed by The New York Times.
The May 15 memo from the department’s general counsel was issued amid growing disputes between federal immigration authorities and Democrat-led states over enforcement operations and the conduct of federal agents.
According to the memo, federal officers are “not legally required to comply with state and local mask prohibitions while carrying out their official duties.”