Appeals Court Blocks California ID Requirement for Federal Agents
9th Circuit enjoins California's No Vigilantes Act, saying it improperly regulates federal operations and violates the Supremacy Clause.
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Overview
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an injunction blocking California's No Vigilantes Act, which required federal immigration agents to display identification during operations.
The court concluded the law "attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of governmental functions" and violates the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, in an opinion written by Judge Mark J. Bennett.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the ruling a "huge legal victory," and California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said it was reviewing the order and defended the laws as needed for transparency.
The No Vigilantes Act was one of two bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in 2025 aimed at reining in federal agents after a June enforcement crackdown, and the federal government sued in November challenging both measures.
California could appeal the decision, and lawmakers are seeking to revive or rewrite mask restrictions by extending them to state troopers as a potential alternative way to address unidentified agents.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a public-safety critique of federal immigration tactics, using evaluative phrases like "aggressive enforcement tactics" and "sweeping crackdown" and highlighting masked-agent risks. Editorial emphasis favors state concerns and remedies, though direct government quotes and the court's legal reasoning remain presented as source content.