A federal judge on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to end the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, ruling that control must revert to California Governor Gavin Newsom. The decision comes months after Trump bypassed state leadership to send troops into US cities, claiming Democratic-run areas were experiencing lawlessness.

Los Angeles first saw National Guard troops on its streets in June, when Trump deployed 4,000 state reservists amid protests over immigration raids. Local authorities argued the demonstrations were minor, limited to a few blocks, and could easily be managed by city, county, and state law enforcement. Critics accused the president of overreach and militarizing civilian spaces unnecessarily.

While most of the troops have since been demobilized, the US military reported that about 100 National Guard members remained deployed “to protect federal property and personnel while enforcing federal law.” The court ruling now mandates that these troops return to state command.

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Senior US District Judge Charles Breyer emphasized that allowing the president to maintain control over federalized state troops indefinitely would undermine the federalist structure of the United States. “Defendants’ argument for a president to hold unchecked power to control state troops would wholly upend the federalism that is at the heart of our system of government,” Breyer wrote in his ruling.

Governor Newsom welcomed the decision, stating, “The federalization of the National Guard in California is illegal and must end. These brave men and women were deployed against their own communities, removing them from essential public safety duties.” He called for all service members to be promptly returned to state service.

The ruling has been temporarily stayed until Monday, allowing the federal government the opportunity to appeal. Legal experts say the case represents a significant check on presidential authority over state National Guard forces and highlights ongoing tensions between state and federal control in politically charged situations.

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