Judge Blocks Trump's National Guard Deployment in Los Angeles

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, ordering their return to state control.

The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, comes after President Trump sent thousands of National Guard personnel to Los Angeles in June following protests sparked by increased immigration raids by his administration.

US District Judge Charles Breyer stated that the Trump administration failed to demonstrate that the protests warranted federal control over California’s National Guard. According to Judge Breyer, approximately 300 troops remain under federal command six months after being federalised.

The judge also dismissed the administration’s argument that courts should not intervene in presidential decisions 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, adding, “Defendants, however, make clear that the only check they want is a blank one.”

The order is set to take effect on December 15th, providing the Trump administration time to file an expected appeal to a higher court. This year has seen President Trump deploy National Guard troops to cities like Portland, Oregon, and Washington DC, with similar legal challenges and, in some instances, court-ordered blocks on those deployments.

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