Federal Judge Halts Trump's National Guard Troop Deployment in Los Angeles

Wed Dec 10 2025 22:10:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A US District Judge ruled that President Trump's decision to deploy National Guard troops in Los Angeles during protests over immigration policies was unjustified, returning control to the state governor.

A federal judge has blocked President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, stating that the administration failed to justify its actions amidst ongoing protests. This ruling restores control of the National Guard to California's governor, Gavin Newsom, who had previously challenged the federalization. The judge emphasized the need for checks and balances in government and questioned the necessity of troop presence months after the protests subsided. An appeal is expected from the Trump administration.

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles and ordered the troops to be returned to the state governor's control.

In June, Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops to the California city in the wake of protests over his administration ramping up immigration raids in Los Angeles.

US District Judge Charles Breyer noted that the Trump administration had not proven that the city's protests against immigration justified taking federal control of the state's National Guard.

The Trump administration still retains control over 300 California National Guard troops six months after they were federalized, the judge added.

Breyer also dismissed the argument from the Trump administration that courts should stay out of a president's decision to take control of state National Guard troops during emergencies. The Founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balances, Judge Breyer wrote in his ruling. Defendants, however, make clear that the only check they want is a blank one.

Judge Breyer's order will not take effect until December 15, allowing time for the Trump administration to appeal to a higher court.

The BBC has reached out to the White House for comments regarding the ruling.

Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to various cities this year, including Portland and Washington DC, has faced multiple legal challenges, and some have been blocked by judges. California Governor Gavin Newsom initially sued when Trump first deployed troops in June, but a court of appeals sided with the administration, saying the protests justified the federalization.

In November, Newsom filed another legal challenge, arguing that since the protests had largely died down, the troops were no longer necessary.

During a recent court hearing, lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the troops should remain in Los Angeles due to ongoing threats to federal immigration agents. However, Judge Breyer questioned the ongoing need for military presence months after the initial unrest.

Breyer remarked, I think experience teaches us that crises come and crises go. He also stated that the Trump administration was essentially creating a national police force composed of state troops by deploying California's National Guard to other states.

This ruling marks another crucial decision in the ongoing legal disputes surrounding Trump's controversial use of National Guard troops to manage civil unrest and immigration issues.