Federal Appeals Court Halts California’s Mandate for Federal Agents to Display Identification

A California law enacted in 2025, which mandated that federal immigration agents display a badge or identification, has been halted by an appeals court decision.

The Trump administration initiated legal action against the law in November, contending that it endangered the safety of officers who could be subjected to harassment, doxing, and violence. Additionally, it claimed that the law violated the Constitution by imposing state regulations on the federal government.

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction to suspend the law while an appeal is pending. This followed a prior temporary administrative injunction that had already paused the law’s enforcement.

During a hearing held on March 3, attorneys from the Justice Department argued that the California law infringed upon the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution by attempting to regulate federal operations.

The appeals court sided with this perspective, with Judge Mark J. Bennett writing in the opinion that the law “attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of governmental functions.”

California’s legal team contended that the law was uniformly applicable to all law enforcement personnel and did not single out the federal government. They maintained that states have the authority to impose “generally applicable” laws on federal agents, highlighting the law’s role in addressing public safety issues.

The initial lawsuit also addressed another California measure signed into law last year that would have banned most law enforcement officers from wearing masks, neck gaiters, and other facial coverings. It was blocked by a federal judge in February.

The legislation did not apply to state law enforcement and made exceptions for undercover agents, protective equipment like N95 respirators or tactical gear, and other situations where not wearing a mask would jeopardize the operation.

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