The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Friday against top Connecticut officials, challenging a new state law that attempts to regulate federal law enforcement officers operating within the state.
The lawsuit names Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin, and Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Eliot Prescott as defendants. The legal challenge targets Senate Bill 397, officially titled the “Act Concerning Democracy and Government Accountability,” which the federal government argues is an unconstitutional infringement on its authority.
Under the contested state law, federal officers are prohibited from wearing facial coverings while performing their official duties. The legislation also mandates that federal agents clearly display their badges and name tags, and requires them to adhere strictly to Connecticut’s state-level use-of-force policies.
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In its complaint, the Justice Department argues that the law violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents states from interfering with federal operations. Furthermore, federal officials allege the law compromises sensitive operations and creates acute safety risks for agents by exposing them to potential doxing, harassment, and violence.
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Connecticut’s anti-law enforcement policies regulate the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand.”
The lawsuit’s filing coincided with Police Week, a point highlighted by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “This week — Police Week — we honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of our Nation’s communities,” Woodward said. “This Department of Justice will not stand by idly in the face of lawless efforts that endanger our brothers and sisters in blue.”
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Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division reiterated the constitutional basis for the legal action. “Connecticut’s attempt to regulate federal officers is dangerous and unconstitutional,” Shumate said. “State interference with federal operations is precisely what the Supremacy Clause was intended to prevent, as the Supreme Court has recognized for centuries.”
The litigation stems from a directive issued last year by the Attorney General, which instructed the Civil Division to identify state and local policies nationwide that impede federal operations. This lawsuit is the latest in a broader federal campaign targeting similar local policies, with previous legal challenges already filed against jurisdictions in New York, New Jersey, and California.
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