Governor Newsom responded strongly, stating that the court “rightly rejected Trump’s claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard without answering to the courts.”
“We will not allow this authoritarian use of military force against civilians to go unchecked,” Newsom wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding, “Donald Trump is not a king and is not above the law.”
The court’s ruling permits the continued deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
The Trump administration has asserted that the troops are tasked with protecting federal immigration agents and federal property during enforcement operations.
Federal officials claimed they took over California’s National Guard to restore public order and protect ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents conducting raids to detain individuals believed to be in the country illegally.
In addition, Trump deployed 700 U.S. Marines to the city, despite Newsom’s objections.
It marks the first time in over 50 years—since the civil rights era—that a president has deployed the National Guard without the consent of a state governor.
This appellate decision halts an earlier lower court ruling that found Trump had acted unlawfully in mobilizing the troops.***