Trump scores win from liberal-leaning 9th Circuit in ICE enforcement showdown

A federal appeals court handed the Trump administration a temporary win in its dispute with California over how immigration agents operate. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals paused a portion of the state's No Vigilantes Act that would have forced plainclothes federal officers to display badges and identification during operations. The judges concluded the administration was "certain to succeed" on its claim that the provision conflicts with the Constitution's supremacy clause, under which federal law prevails over clashing state rules. They reasoned that California cannot decide for Washington whether, how and when its officers identify themselves, according to Fox News.

The decision stings Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat often discussed as a 2028 presidential contender who has made himself a prominent critic of the president's immigration agenda and signed multiple laws meant to shield immigrant communities and tighten oversight of federal agents. The court has frequently opposed the administration on immigration, including over sanctuary-city funding, asylum limits and the travel ban.

The administration filed suit in November 2025 against the identification rule and a separate law, the No Secret Police Act, which limits face coverings. Judge Christina Snyder had earlier halted the mask limit for federal officers but left the identification rule standing.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →