California National Guard members stand opposite protesters outside the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana on June 11, 2025.
Credit – Leonard Ortiz—MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images
A federal judge ruled Thursday evening that President Donald Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard in response to anti-immigration protests in Los Angeles was “illegal,” granting the state’s request for a temporary restraining order on deployment and ordering control of the California National Guard to be returned to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“That’s the difference between a constitutional government and King George. It’s not that a leader can simply say something and then it becomes it,” U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer said during the hearing earlier on Thursday.
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Breyer said in his ruling that the President’s actions were “both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment.”
The ruling is set to take effect at noon Pacific time Friday. A second hearing to determine if a preliminary injunction should be issued may be held on June 20.
Newsom posted on X: “The court just confirmed what we all know—the military belongs on the battlefield, not on our city streets. This win is not just for California, but the nation.”
Newsom continued to address the entire country in his criticism of Trump, adding: “This win is not just for California, but the nation. It’s a check on a man whose authoritarian tendencies are increasing by the day. End the illegal militarization of Los Angeles now, @realDonaldTrump. History is watching.”
Trump posted on Truth Social about Newsom on Thursday evening: “Incompetent Gavin Newscum should have been THANKING me for the job we did in Los Angeles, rather than making sad excuses for the poor job he has done. If it weren’t for me getting the National Guard into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now!”
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