Trump Scores Win Over California ICE Mask Ban
President Donald Trump has scored a win after a Californian law, which would limit when federal agents can wear masks, was blocked by the Department of Justice on Thursday.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X on Thursday the U.S. court for the 9th Circuit had issued “a full stay blocking California's ban on masks for federal law enforcement agents.”
A lower court had temporarily blocked the law earlier this month. Thursday’s ruling now means that a temporary administrative injunction has been granted, meaning the injunction will “remain in effect until the court rules on the government’s motion for an injunction pending appeal.”
Bondi added: “Law enforcement officers risk their lives for us, only to be doxxed by radical anti-police activists. Unacceptable. This crucial ruling protects our brave men and women in the field. We will not stop fighting bad laws like these in California and across the country.”
Why It Matters
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have increasingly began to wear masks during operations this year, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said is to protect agents from doxing, when a person’s private information is shared online. The masks, as well as ICE’s operations, have increased public scrutiny of the agency.
As a result, Democrats and Republicans have been sparring over the operation of ICE for weeks.
House Democrats have referred to ICE as Trump’s “secret police,” arguing that they have been using “fascist tactics,” while ICE has hit back, warning that referring to ICE agents in that way could put them in danger.
There have also been ongoing calls for ICE agents to show their faces and identification. An online petition hosted on MoveOn’s platform, which calls on lawmakers to pass legislation to mandate immigration enforcement officers to display their agency and badge numbers, and show their faces during public operations, has gathered more than 150,000 signatures.
What To Know
On September 20, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the ‘No Secret Police Act’ among a number of others which he said would “respond to federal overreach and push back against Trump and Stephen Miller's "secret police" tactics in California.”
Newsom said that these laws would make California the “first state in the nation to prohibit federal law enforcement officers, including ICE, from hiding their identities, and make it less likely that federal immigration enforcement officers target children in classrooms and patients in hospitals.”
More recently, in December, Newsom said: “[ICE agents] should be unmasked, they should provide their ID, and they should be clearly marked, but obviously the Trump administration continues to try sow doubt and to sow fear.”
Only in certain circumstances would ICE agents be permitted to wear masks under the ‘No Secret Police Act’ such as during active undercover operations, tactical operations where protective gear is required for physical safety, and a few others.
These laws were to take effect on January 1, 2026, but the Trump administration filed a lawsuit, arguing the mask ban threatened officer safety and unconstitutionally allowed states to regulate federal government operations, which put the implementation of the law on hold.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder then ruled the mask ban was discriminatory because it exempted state law enforcement officers while targeting federal agents, although it was ruled that immigration officers would still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number.
She issued an injunction against the law, putting it on hold until Thursday.
What People Are Saying
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District, Bill Essayli said in a post on X on Thursday: “The state of California needs to familiarize itself with the Supremacy Clause. It does not have the authority to regulate federal agents. This is another key win for the Justice Department.”
California Governor Gavin Newsomsaid in September: “Public safety depends on trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve-but Trump and Miller have shattered that trust and spread fear across America. California is putting an end to it and making sure schools and hospitals remain what they should be: places of care, not chaos.”
What Happens Next
The court has also scheduled oral argument on the matter for March 3, according to the court documents.
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This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 8:50 AM.