9th Circuit blocks California law requiring ICE agents to show ID before arrests

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issues a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of California''s "No Vigilantes Act" — a state law requiring ICE agents to display government-issued identification before making arrests. The law was passed by the California Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2025 as part of a broader state effort to establish guardrails on immigration enforcement operations. The 9th Circuit panel rules that the law likely conflicts with federal immigration enforcement authority under the Supremacy Clause. The court finds California cannot condition or obstruct federal officers'' ability to execute federal immigration law. The ruling is a setback for California''s strategy of using state law to limit the Trump administration''s deportation operations. California AG Rob Bonta says the state will continue fighting for the law in court. The Trump administration had sought the injunction as part of a broader legal campaign against state sanctuary policies and laws that limit cooperation between local governments and ICE. The 9th Circuit ruling adds to a series of federal court decisions limiting states'' ability to restrict immigration enforcement.