In a huge blow to Governor Gavin Newsom, a federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked California’s law that banned masks for ICE agents and required the federal agents to wear ID badges.
A three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit of Appeals ruled 2-1 that California does not have the authority to regulate federal immigration officials.
The three judges included two Trump appointees and an Obama appointee.
Fox News reported:
An appeals court on Wednesday blocked California from requiring federal immigration agents to display identification during operations, handing the Trump administration a legal victory over Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found California overstepped its authority by trying to regulate Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, marking the latest flashpoint in a broader fight between blue states and the federal government over immigration enforcement operations.
The panel of judges, comprising two Trump appointees and one Obama appointee, found California’s No Vigilantes Act violated the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says that when a state and federal law are in conflict, the latter wins out.
“We conclude that [section 10] of the No Vigilantes Act attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of governmental functions,” the panel wrote in an order. “The Supremacy Clause forbids the State from enforcing such legislation.”
California recently banned federal law enforcement officers from covering their faces with masks.
The Trump Administration filed a lawsuit against California and argued the state’s new law violated the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
US District Judge Christina Snyder, a Clinton appointee, recently agreed with the Trump Administration’s assertion that California’s law violated the Supremacy Clause and temporarily blocked the law.
Earlier this year, at the request of the DOJ, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals expanded the block on California’s ban on masks for ICE agents.
The law requiring federal officers display their ID/badge numbers is now blocked.
California can appeal the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision.
First Assistant US Attorney for the middle district of California Bill Essayli celebrated the win.
Huge legal victory this morning in the Ninth Circuit, where the court permanently enjoined California’s unconstitutional mask law targeting federal agents.
“We conclude that § 10 of the No Vigilantes Act attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of… pic.twitter.com/fZNjG9QepO
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) April 22, 2026
The post In Major Blow to Newsom, Appeals Court Blocks California Law That Banned Masks For ICE Agents appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.