California's Attempt to Rein in ICE Is Failing
California has led the way in attempts to rebuff President Donald Trump's agenda, but the state's attempts to limit the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics have repeatedly come up short.
The latest blow came on Wednesday when a federal appeals court blocked a California law requiring federal immigration agents to wear identification. And a federal judge earlier blocked another law that would have barred most law enforcement officers from wearing masks.
Why It Matters
California enacted the legislation last fall to rein in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in response to growing anger over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Southern California last summer. Advocates raised concerns about masked agents conducting workplace raids or arresting people on the street, often without showing identification.
The court rulings could have nationwide implications, as other states have pursued their own measures to place restrictions on federal agents enforcing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
What To Know
The Trump administration quickly sued over both laws after Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed them in November.
A federal judge blocked the mask ban in February. Judge Christina Snyder ruled that the ban, as it was enacted, discriminated against the federal government because it did not apply to state troopers. She let the ID requirement law stand.
Lawyers for the Justice Department argued at an appeal hearing in March that the ID requirement law sought to regulate the federal government, thereby violating the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. California lawyers argued that the law applied equally to all law enforcement officers without discriminating against the U.S. government, and that states could apply "generally applicable" laws to federal agents.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Trump administration and issued an injunction pending appeal.
The law "attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of governmental functions," Judge Mark J. Bennett wrote in an opinion.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche celebrated Wednesday’s ruling, writing on X that it is a "big win to protect law enforcement" and "another decisive victory in this administration’s effort to remove illegal aliens from this country."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said they are reviewing the order.
"The Trump Administration has stepped well outside the boundaries of normal practice, deploying masked and unidentified agents to carry out immigration enforcement, despite the risks these tactics pose to public safety and basic civil liberties," Bonta's office said in a statement.
Other efforts by California to limit ICE's tactics have also been stopped by court rulings.
In September, the Supreme Court's conservative majority cleared the way for federal immigration agents to conduct sweeping immigration operations in Los Angeles, lifting a restraining order from a judge who found that roving patrols were conducting indiscriminate stops in and around the city.
But California has seen some wins.
In December, a federal judge barred ICE from arresting immigrants at immigration courthouses, though that ruling applies only to Northern and Central California.
This year, Democratic lawmakers in California are advancing new bills targeting federal immigration enforcement, including bills that would make it easier to sue federal agents over civil rights violations, ban law enforcement officers from moonlighting as federal agents, and curb courthouse arrests.
What Happens Next
While court rulings prevent California from enforcing the ID requirement law and mask ban while the case proceeds, advocates say the new proposals fall more clearly within the state's authority-though that doesn’t rule out the possibility that they could also face legal challenges.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 10:21 AM.