A federal appeals court has blocked a state law that required plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to show their faces and wear visible identification while on duty in California.
The court’s ruling argued that the measure violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, as the California statute “directly attempts to regulate the United States in the performance of its governmental duties.”
The injunction came in response to a federal appeal challenging Section 10 of the No Vigilantes Act, which was enacted in September 2025 and later codified as California Penal Code § 13654.
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The now-blocked law demanded that any “federal law enforcement agent” operating without a uniform in California must “visibly display identification” while carrying out federal law enforcement functions.
Additionally, it cited Section 2 of the No Secret Police Act (S.B. 627), which required agencies to “maintain and publish a written policy on the use of facial coverings.”
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As a result, the appeals panel formally ordered the state of California, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Rob Bonta to immediately refrain from enforcing or implementing these requirements.
The decision marks a clear victory for the Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Justice.
