Court Upholds Trump Control of California National Guard

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, consisting of both Trump and Biden appointees, ruled unanimously that President Donald Trump can continue to control the California National Guard deployed in Los Angeles during protests against ICE raids. The decision overturned a lower court ruling that had returned command to Governor Gavin Newsom and found that Trump likely acted within his statutory authority to federalize the Guard. The court emphasized a highly deferential standard to presidential decisions, stating that Newsom lacks the power to veto the federalization. This is the first such mobilization of the National Guard over a governor's objections since 1965. Legal proceedings are ongoing, with a lower court hearing scheduled and the possibility of an appeal to the Supreme Court. Local officials and the state of California continue to oppose the federal intervention.