A federal appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the Trump administration from federalizing California National Guard troops
A divided 2-1 Ninth Circuit panel on Oct. 23 upheld a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s federalization and deployment of 4,000 California National Guard members to Los Angeles in June 2025. The court said the initial order exceeded Trump’s statutory authority and rejected the administration’s argument that the decision was beyond judicial review.
More context
A divided, 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Oct. 23 that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by federalizing 4,000 California National Guard members and sending them to Los Angeles in June 2025. The court upheld a lower-court preliminary injunction blocking the deployment and returning control of the Guard to Gov. Gavin Newsom. In its split opinion, the panel said the initial federalization exceeded the president’s statutory authority and encroached on Congress’s power to call forth troops. It also rejected the administration’s argument that the decision was beyond judicial review. The ruling followed a December Supreme Court decision finding Trump’s federalization of the Illinois National Guard illegal. A judge who criticized the ruling said the parties had not fully addressed the Illinois decision’s effect and faulted the panel’s legal standard.
Was this story useful?
What was the main problem? (optional)
Reporting
- Bloomberg Law — Block on Trump’s LA National Guard Takeover Upheld on Appeal
- ca.gov — Attorney General Bonta Celebrates Ninth Circuit Ruling Upholding Order Against President Trump’s Unlawful and Unconstitutional Federalization of California National Guard | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General
- NTD Television — Appeals Court Rejects Trump Admin’s Claim National Guard Needed in Los Angeles in 2025 | NTD
- krcrtv.com — Redding Chico Eureka
- Los Angeles Daily News — Trump’s National Guard deployment to LA was illegal, divided appeals court rules – Daily News
- The Sacramento Bee — Trump’s California National Guard deployment likely illegal | Sacramento Bee
Verifier’s note
The results report that the Ninth Circuit upheld a lower-court order blocking the Trump administration’s federalization and deployment of California National Guard troops. They describe the ruling as issued Friday, October 23, 2026, so it is timely.