A federal agent takes part in a raid on a tire shop outside of Houston on Feb. 24, 2025.

One of the many demands the Trump administration forced on Columbia University, fueled by the threat of losing federal funds, was a ban on the public wearing of masks on campus. The reasoning behind the ban was simple: If students were wearing masks, other than for health reasons, it was likely they were up to no good and hiding their identities to avoid being held accountable for their actions — antisemitism, violence or terrorism.

Similarly, a compromise worked out in the state budget negotiations provides for additional jail time and other penalties for people who wear face coverings to conceal identities while committing crimes. The measure, supported by the Unmask Hate Coalition (the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, the UJA Federation of New York and the National Urban League are members), was bipartisan and drew only limited objections. The largest point of debate was the severity of the penalties to be exacted.

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Nearly everyone seems to agree:........

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