All articles tagged with #supremacy clause
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked California's 2025 law that would require federal immigration agents to wear badges or identification, granting an injunction pending appeal and ruling the measure would directly regulate the federal government in violation of the Constitution's Supremacy Clause; the decision follows a DOJ lawsuit and prior temporary injunctions.
A federal appeals court blocked California's law requiring law enforcement officers to wear identification for federal officers, ruling the state lacks authority to regulate federal agents and that the Supremacy Clause prohibits such legislation; the 9th Circuit granted a preliminary injunction keeping the measure from taking effect while the case continues.
Minnesota prosecutors filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department to obtain evidence and the identities of federal agents involved in the shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge, after the Trump administration refused to cooperate. The move, centered on Touhy letters, tests whether federal immunity under the Supremacy Clause can shield agents from state prosecutions and faces extradition and logistical hurdles, signaling a lengthy, high-stakes battle with broad implications for accountability in immigration enforcement. Moriarty’s office is also investigating 14 additional cases of possible federal-agent misconduct, highlighting nationwide scrutiny of use-of-force and transparency in federal operations.
A federal judge struck down California’s No Secret Police Act mask ban on federal officers for discriminating by not applying to state police, though she left open a path for a revised law that includes all officers; state lawmakers, led by Sen. Wiener, plan to refile a broader ban while DOJ argued the current ban could cause nationwide enforcement chaos. The ruling paused enforcement against federal agents and reinforced a push for clearer identification rules, with continued political and legal maneuvering from California and federal officials.
The article explains how the ICE agent who shot Renee Good could face Minnesota charges and how a potential immunity under the Supremacy Clause—contingent on acting within federal duties and in a reasonable, necessary manner—might bar state prosecution or push the case to federal court, with context on federal–state power and past precedents like Ruby Ridge.