Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP / Getty Images
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, ordering their return to the control of California Governor Gavin Newsom. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer issued the order on Wednesday (December 10), marking a significant setback for the Trump administration.
The deployment, initiated by President Trump in June, was a response to a wave of immigration protests in the city. The administration argued that the protests justified federal control of the National Guard. However, Judge Breyer rejected this claim, stating that the protests did not amount to a rebellion that warranted such federal intervention.
Earlier this year, Judge Breyer had issued a temporary restraining order to block the deployment, but it was stayed by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Now, with the recent ruling, the National Guard units are to be returned to state control.
This decision is expected to have implications for similar federal deployments in other states.