Hundreds Protest Planned ICE Detention Center in New York Orange County

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside an empty warehouse in New York’s Orange County last week to protest a planned new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. Rain fell during the gathering. ” An analysis from Princeton University found immigration-related demonstrations reached record levels in 2025.

Several Democratic-led states have passed laws requiring federal immigration officers to display identification or restricting the use of face coverings during enforcement operations. The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against California, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and several New England states over these laws.

New York recently passed bills signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul that subject federal officers to criminal laws regulating how they carry out federal duties.

The Justice Department stated that face coverings protect immigration agents and their families from doxxing, harassment, and potential retaliation. State officials argue that requiring identification increases transparency and accountability during enforcement operations.

Constitutional law professor Josh Blackman stated there is a long-standing doctrine of federal supremacy from the Supremacy Clause.

Professor Eugene Volokh stated that states cannot tell the federal government what to do. The Supreme Court ruled in McCulloch v. Maryland in 1819 that Maryland could not tax the federally chartered Bank of the United States.

Maryland in 1920 that Maryland could not require a postal worker to obtain a state driver’s license before operating a federal mail vehicle. A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel struck down California’s ICE mask-banning law.