A federal appeals court has ruled that California cannot require federal immigration officers to visibly display identification while conducting enforcement operations, finding that the state's No Vigilantes Act likely violates the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit directed a lower court to issue a preliminary injunction against the law, which requires plainclothes law enforcement officers to display identification while performing their duties.
The ruling, reported by The Hill, follows an earlier suspension of the measure and represents another legal development in the Trump administration's dispute with California over immigration enforcement.
The appeals court found that states cannot directly regulate federal government operations without congressional authorization, even when the same requirements apply to state officers.
The Supremacy Clause "prohibits States from directly regulating federal operations even when regulating state operations in the same manner," the court wrote.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office expressed disappointment with the decision."Transparency and accountability are the foundation of good law enforcement — law enforcement refusing to identify themselves undermines our collective safety," the office said in a statement to The Hill, adding that it was reviewing the opinion.
The dispute began after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two measures in September 2025: the No Vigilantes Act, requiring visible identification, and the No Secret Police Act, restricting federal officers from wearing masks during operations. Both were scheduled to take effect January 1.
The Justice Department sued California and Newsom in November 2025, arguing that the laws unlawfully interfered with federal authority and endangered immigration agents. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time that the measures "discriminate against the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents."
California officials defended the legislation as a response to immigration raids and concerns about accountability. At the September signing ceremony, Newsom said federal agents should no longer be "hidden from accountability."
The legislation followed increased immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, where protests erupted in June 2025 and Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines over Newsom's objections. Federal authorities reported approximately 5,000 immigration arrests in the Los Angeles area between June and August.
The Ninth Circuit had already extended a pause on the identification law in April. Wednesday's ruling requires the lower court to enter a preliminary injunction but does not constitute a final judgment on every issue in the litigation.
© {{Year}} Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.