Ninth Circuit Finds Trump 'Certain to Succeed' in Fight Over California's ICE Identification Law

A three-judge Ninth Circuit panel ruled Oct. 14 that the Trump administration is "certain to succeed" on its claim that California's "No Vigilantes Act" -- which requires on-duty law enforcement officers, including federal agents, to display visible identification -- unconstitutionally regulates federal operations under the Supremacy Clause. The panel directed the district court to enter a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the identification requirement against federal immigration agents while the underlying case continues.

The ruling builds on an April 2026 order that had already paused the law pending appeal, this time finding California's interference with federal authority irrelevant to the law's validity. It does not address the lawfulness of the raids the law was meant to make more accountable, and a separate state law barring agents from masks remains blocked on different grounds.

California's attorney general said his office was reviewing the opinion and warned that unidentified officers undermine public confidence. Federal officials called the ruling a win for law enforcement.