DOJ sues St. Paul over ordinances requiring law enforcement to wear ID, leave faces uncovered

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing St. Paul over two ordinances enacted this year that mandate law enforcement operating in the city to wear identification and keep their faces uncovered.

Attorneys for the DOJ argue the two ordinances are unconstitutional attempts to regulate the federal government.

The St. Paul City Council passed the measures in February as thousands of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection occupied the Twin Cities during Operation Metro Surge.

More often than not, agents wore balaclavas or gaiters to obscure their faces, and they rarely wore any identification beyond vests stating which agency they worked for.

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