US judge rules Trump's deployment of National Guard to LA protests 'unlawful'
A US federal judge ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to manage protests in Los Angeles was unlawful, ordering the return of control over the California National Guard to the state.
The ruling, set to take effect on Friday, represents a significant victory for California officials who had challenged the federal intervention.
US District Judge Charles Breyer, in his decision, stated that the deployment violated the Tenth Amendment and exceeded the statutory authority granted to the president.
Newsom vs. Trump: Judge has ordered President Trump to revert control of the National Guard back to Governor Newsom and California. pic.twitter.com/N7OFlTIogp
Breyer highlighted the negative impact the militarisation of Los Angeles was having on local protests, stating it inflamed tensions, threatened public safety, and deprived the state of essential National Guard resources for addressing ongoing emergencies such as fires and the fentanyl crisis.
“Plaintiffs and the citizens of Los Angeles face a greater harm from the continued unlawful militarisation of their city,” Breyer wrote in his opinion. “This not only risks escalating hostilities but deprives the state of vital resources for fighting fires, combating the fentanyl trade, and performing other critical functions.”
The ruling also noted that the deployment interfered with protesters' First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly and expression, as the presence of armed National Guard troops could potentially intimidate demonstrators.
In response, the Trump administration announced it would appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who filed the lawsuit against the federal government, voiced strong opposition to the move, calling the deployment a "serious breach of state sovereignty."
On Tuesday, Newsom warned that the federalisation of the National Guard represented a threat to democracy itself, suggesting that other states could face similar interventions.
A child’s life and home, taken away overnight by Trump’s cruel and inhumane mass deportation policy.
This is not who we are as a country. pic.twitter.com/c9snpHAadI“When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation,” Newsom said in an address. “This is about all of us. Democracy is under assault before our eyes.”
The conflict between the state and the federal government over the use of the National Guard is far from over, as the appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court continues to unfold. For now, however, the decision requires the administration to relinquish control over the California National Guard, effective Friday.