Federal appeals court blocks California law requiring federal agents to wear identification

A federal appeals court has blocked a California law that required federal immigration agents to wear identification. The law, passed in 2025, aimed to address concerns about masked agents conducting workplace raids and arresting people on the street without showing ID. The Trump administration challenged the law, arguing it threatened officer safety and violated the Constitution. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously agreed, stating the law directly regulated the federal government. The court's decision was based on the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits states from regulating federal activities. California's lawyers argued the law was necessary for public safety, but the court did not consider this factor, ruling that the federal government's constitutional rights took precedence.