A liberal-leaning appeals court handed the Trump administration a major win for law enforcement on Wednesday.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a California law requiring plainclothes federal law enforcement to show badges and I.D. during operations.

The court ruled that the Trump administration was “certain to succeed” in its lawsuit against California, “finding that the No Vigilantes Act’s identification requirement violates the Constitution’s supremacy clause,” Fox News reported.

🚨 WINNING! THE NINTH CIRCUIT JUST BLOCKED CALIFORNIA’S LAW TARGETING ICE AGENTS.

Newsom’s “No Vigilantes Act” would have forced federal officers to VISIBLY DISPLAY ID during operations, or face CRIMINAL PROSECUTION by the state.

The court ruled UNANIMOUSLY that it likely violates the SUPREMACY CLAUSE. California doesn’t get to regulate the federal government.

The judges went further and said the Trump administration is “CERTAIN TO SUCCEED.”

Even an Obama appointee signed on.

Federal law is the law of the land. Sacramento doesn’t get a veto.

GOOD.

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 15, 2026

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has “repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over some of its signature immigration policies, including blocking efforts to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities in 2018, restricting attempts to tighten asylum eligibility that same year and refusing to reinstate Trump’s travel ban targeting several predominantly Muslim countries in 2017,” according to Fox.

The court’s ruling was celebrated on X:

Good for the 9th circuit. Only in CA can criminals where a mask and no one says a word but law enforcement tries to protect their identity from lunatics who would gladly identify where they live and endanger the lives of their families. Protect those who protect us. Not criminals

— Robert Lapinski (@RobLaArizonaSJB) October 14, 2026

The DOJ should demand to recover all costs, including attorney fees, from California under the Frivolous Lawsuit Exception. Even a first-year law student knows that there was no legal basis for this case.

— Kev (@kevicss) October 14, 2026

California tried to slap name tags on ICE and the Ninth Circuit shut it down. Federal immigration law does not take orders from Sacramento.

— Paul of Legally Armed America (@Paul_of_LAA) October 14, 2026

A spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom gave a brief statement.

“California is proud to fight for the safety of our communities against the federal government’s campaign of terror and weaponized incompetence. Their tactics continue to harm our families every day,” they said.

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