A US appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration can maintain control of the National Guard troops in Los Angeles, despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The decision comes amid heightened tensions in California’s largest city, which has become a focal point of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeal said Trump was within his rights to order 4,000 members of the National Guard into service for 60 days to “protect federal personnel performing federal functions and to protect federal property.” The court emphasized that affording appropriate deference to the President’s determination is crucial in such matters.
Trump hailed the decision as a “BIG WIN,” stating that the US needs to protect its cities and people when state and local police are unable to do so. “All over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
However, Newsom vowed to continue challenging the deployment, asserting that Trump is “not a king and not above the law.” “Tonight, the court rightly rejected Trump’s claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court,” Newsom said. “We will not let this authoritarian use of military soldiers against citizens go unchecked.”
The court’s decision does not address the nature of the activities in which the federalized National Guard may engage, leaving room for further legal challenges. Newsom could still raise issues related to the use of the National Guard and Marines under other laws, including the bar on using troops in domestic law enforcement.