Appeals court hands Trump a win on National Guard’s LA deployment

A United States appeals court on Thursday unanimously blocked a lower court ruling that put California Governor Gavin Newsom back in control of National Guard troops that President Donald Trump has deployed to Los Angeles.

The Context

Newsom and California sued Trump after he deployed the guardsmen to L.A. as part of an effort to crack down on demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which earlier this month raided several L.A. neighborhoods with higher immigrant populations and labor-intensive industries.

What To Know

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Trump “likely acted within his authority” when he federalized the National Guard in California to quell the demonstrations.

The panel is made up of two Trump appointees and one judge appointed by then-President Joe Biden.

Thursday’s ruling overturned that of U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who handed control of the National Guard to Newsom after the governor sued.

“Defendants are temporarily ENJOINED from deploying members of the California National Guard in Los Angeles,” Breyer wrote in his June 12 ruling. “Defendants are DIRECTED to return control of the California National Guard to Governor Newsom.”

The appeals court said in its 38-page ruling on Thursday: “Affording appropriate deference to the President’s determination, we conclude that he likely acted within his authority in federalizing the National Guard.”

The opinion was unsigned and issued on behalf of the entire panel.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.