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Federal appeals court blocks California law requiring federal agents to wear identification (www.pbs.org)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/politics@sh.itjust.works
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An appeals court has blocked a California law passed in 2025 requiring federal immigration agents to wear a badge or some form of identification.

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in November challenging the law, arguing that it would threaten the safety of officers who are facing harassment, doxing, and violence and that it violated the constitution because the state is directly regulating the federal government.

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[–] 11 points 6 months ago* (4 children)

The appeals court agreed unanimously, saying the law "attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of governmental functions," in an opinion written by Judge Mark J. Bennett. The panel was composed of two Trump appointees, Bennett and Daniel P. Collins, and Obama appointee Jacqueline H. Nguyen.

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  • [–] 13 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    What are the implications here? Are federal workers immune to all state laws? Can the USPS tear through my neighborhood drunk driving at 98mph? Can DOE labs dump toxic chemicals in the woods, so long as they don't cross state lines? Can HUD developments just ignore all building codes?

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Re: USPS, yes. The difference is that they'd be punished internally and referred over to the state. If you're driving a mail truck you can't be legally stopped by the police because of jurisdiction. Does that matter in practice? Not really, because the average person will act to minimize harm and voluntarily stop or stop someone who is a danger to others.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago

    A postal vehicle can be stopped by police ... but when they are stopped they must be let go within 15 minutes or be charged with delaying the mail service 18 U.S.C. § 1701–1703

    This would be enforced by a postal inspector and moved to a federal prosecutor (US Attorney) and the charge bypasses all qualified immunity.

    For this reason the police almost never mess with postal vehicles.

    Source: I got stopped in a postal vehicle by a state trooper for bypassing a weigh station ... it went really badly for the guy.

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