by Admin
20/6/2025
A U.S. appeals court has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump, allowing him to maintain control over National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles despite strong opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom and local officials.
The deployment came amid widespread protests over Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement measures.
City leaders and the governor criticized the move as an unnecessary and provocative escalation.
A unanimous decision issued on Thursday morning by a three-judge panel concluded that Trump acted within his legal authority to mobilize the National Guard to protect federal personnel and property. Trump celebrated the ruling, calling it a “big win.”
The ruling overturns an earlier decision by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who found that Trump violated federal law by bypassing the legal process for activating a state’s National Guard.
In his ruling, Judge Breyer ruled that Trump’s actions were illegal and ordered control of the California National Guard returned to the governor.
However, he delayed enforcement of that order until June 13 to allow for an appeal, an appeal the Trump administration promptly filed.
Thursday’s ruling stated that Trump’s failure to federalize the Guard through the governor did not invalidate his overall authority to deploy the troops.
“This is much bigger than Gavin [Newsom],” Trump wrote on social media following the decision.
“If our cities and people need protection, we must be the ones to provide it when local and state police cannot.”
He praised the court and added, “America is proud of you tonight!”
Although the court sided with Trump’s side on his authority, it did not fully endorse his legal arguments.
The judges noted that President Trump‘s decision to deploy the National Guard was not beyond judicial scrutiny and could still face legal challenges on other grounds.
Governor Newsom responded strongly, saying the court “rightly rejected Trump’s claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard without court oversight.”
“We won’t allow this authoritarian use of military force against civilians to go unchecked,” Newsom posted on X. “Donald Trump is not a king and he is not above the law.”
The decision allows approximately 4,000 National Guard troops to remain stationed in Los Angeles.
The Trump administration claims the deployment is essential for the protection of federal agents and property during immigration raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In addition to the National Guard troops, Trump also sent 700 U.S. Marines to the city over Governor Newsom’s disapproval.
This is the first time in over 50 years that a United States president has deployed the National Guard to a state without the governor’s consent, a move last seen during the civil rights era.