Governor Gavin Newsom wanted California to dictate how federal officers identify themselves while enforcing federal law. On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit delivered an unmistakable answer: the governor’s authority stops well short of directing federal law enforcement operations. Three appellate judges ordered a lower court to block the key identification requirement in Newsom’s No Vigilantes Act.
The October 14 decision goes beyond an ordinary finding that the Justice Department might eventually win. Writing for the panel, Judge Mark Bennett said the federal government was “certain to succeed” on its constitutional claim. California had tried to regulate officers working under federal authority, and the Supremacy Clause stood in its way.
Newsom signed Senate Bill 805 in September 2025 as part of his fight against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. Section 10 required officers working without uniforms to display their agency and either a name or badge number while performing specified enforcement duties. The provision expressly included federal officers.
A willful, knowing violation could bring a misdemeanor prosecution under California law.
