Bondi Claims 9th Circuit Blocked ICE Mask Ban — Court Actually Ruled on Different Case

Feb 21, 2026

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Attorney General Pam Bondi said a federal appeals court blocked California’s ICE mask ban but the actual ruling involved a different case.

Bondi posted on X that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had issued a “FULL stay blocking California’s ban on masks for federal law enforcement agents,” calling it a key victory for federal officers.

Her statement sparked confusion over what the court actually decided and why it matters in the broader legal fight. Bondi’s claim referenced an appeals action, but the masked ban had already been halted by a federal judge in Los Angeles earlier this month on constitutional grounds.

The 9th Circuit’s stay that Bondi pointed to was tied to a different California law requiring law enforcement officers to display identification, not directly to the mask ban itself.

That appeals court move paused the identification law while the case is being reviewed, but it did not overturn the lower court’s injunction on the mask prohibition.

“This is a key victory for federal law enforcement and the Supremacy Clause,” Bondi wrote on X.

Legal observers say the mask ban issue is not fully resolved and may return to the 9th Circuit for a longer review. The law’s author has already signaled he will revise the statute to withstand court challenges.

Observers will be watching the next hearings closely.

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