A U.S. appeals court ruled in favor of President Donald Trump, allowing him to maintain control over National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles.
The ruling affirms the President’s constitutional power to protect federal personnel and property when local leaders fail to maintain order, delivering a stinging rebuke to Democrat-run states attempting to obstruct immigration enforcement.
A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that President Trump acted lawfully when he federalized approximately 4,000 National Guard troops to maintain order during immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.
The decision overturns a lower court decision by Judge Charles Breyer, who had claimed the President overstepped his authority.
The judges cited substantial evidence justifying the deployment, including violent acts by protesters who had physically threatened federal immigration agents and damaged government property.
The court wrote:
“The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van’s windows. The federal government’s interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.”
The court also established that even if the federal government failed to notify Governor Newsom as required by law, the California governor had no authority to veto the President’s order.
This directive significantly clarifies the presidential power to deploy troops within the United States when necessary to restore order and protect federal interests.
President Trump celebrated the ruling on social media, recognizing its importance for law and order nationwide:
“This is much bigger than Gavin [Newsom], because 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.”
The deployment, which included 700 Marines in addition to National Guard troops, marked the first time since 1965 that a president had activated a state’s National Guard without the governor’s permission.
Breaking News: A federal appeals court let President Trump keep using the National Guard to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles, rejecting a lower court’s ruling. https://t.co/poupgosFX3
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 20, 2025
That previous deployment occurred during the civil rights era when President Lyndon Johnson federalized the Alabama National Guard to protect civil rights marchers from violence.
Moreover, two of the three judges on the appeals panel were Trump appointees, and all three suggested presidents have wide latitude under federal law to deploy troops when necessary.
The court’s decision allows the continued presence of National Guard forces in Los Angeles as the immigration enforcement operations proceed.
Governor Newsom, who had sued to block Trump’s command, attempted to spin the defeat by claiming the ruling rejected Trump’s assertion of “unchecked authority” over the National Guard.
However, the court’s decision clearly establishes the President’s right to federalize state troops when necessary to protect federal interests, regardless of opposition from Democrat governors.
Since the deployment, the protests have diminished significantly, suggesting the President’s decisive action successfully restored order where local authorities had failed.
Control of the California National Guard will remain with the federal government as the lawsuit proceeds through the courts, ensuring continued protection for immigration enforcement officers conducting lawful operations.
This decision reinforces the fundamental principle that when state and local officials refuse to maintain order and protect federal personnel, the President has both the authority and the responsibility to step in and ensure the nation’s laws are faithfully executed.
