The Ninth Circuit upheld the order against the June 2025 deployment, according to Governor Newsom and the Office of the Attorney General of California.
On Friday, October 23, 2026, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an order blocking the federalization and deployment of the California National Guard in Los Angeles, which President Donald Trump ordered in June 2025. According to Governor Gavin Newsom, the court concluded that the president had abused authority.
What the court said
According to the statement from the Office of the Attorney General of California, the appeals court upheld the order of a federal district court in the Northern District of California and rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to withdraw its appeal of the temporary restraining order.
Governor Newsom, in an official statement, said the ruling describes the president’s action as a violation of the separation of powers established by the Constitution. The court also rejected the argument that there was a “rebellion” in Los Angeles that justified federalizing the Guard; according to that statement, the claim was not a reasonable assessment within the “range of honest judgment.”
The ruling follows a December 2025 Supreme Court decision that held the federalization of the Illinois National Guard was illegal, according to the governor’s statement.
How the case began
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Newsom sued in June 2025 over the federalization orders and the use of National Guard troops for civil law enforcement in Los Angeles. In August 2025, in a three-day trial, the state presented evidence of violations of the Posse Comitatus Act. That same June, the court granted emergency relief and returned control of the Guard to Newsom.
The state argued that the federal government overrode the governor’s approval and that the situation did not meet the legal criteria for federalizing the troops, according to Newsom’s statement.
Reactions
Bonta said in the statement: “Deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles with no rhyme or reason was a clear example of federal overreach.” The statement also said that courts have repeatedly rejected the administration’s attempts to evade the law.
Newsom called the decision a crucial day for the rule of law and said California’s fight set a legal precedent that protects all Americans. The governor added that the state remains a “first line of defense” against authoritarianism.
No response from the federal government to this ruling was found in the official sources reviewed.
Why it matters to Latinos
The June 2025 deployment took place amid protests over raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, a city with one of the largest Latino populations in the country. The decision defines how far a president can go in sending troops into a city in a dispute over immigration enforcement operations.
What does it mean to you?
- The ruling concerns control of the National Guard; it does not change immigration rules or ICE operations.
- An appeal by the federal government is still possible; check the official websites of the California Attorney General’s Office and the governor for updates.
- If you have questions about your rights during an enforcement operation, contact a legal aid organization or your consulate.
