California National Guard Deployment Challenge

A pro-democracy lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles.

Background

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) filed a lawsuit in California district court challenging President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles in response to largely peaceful protests over immigration raids. Newsom asserts that Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard under Title 10 violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars the National Guard from conducting domestic law enforcement activities, such as managing traffic flow and crowd control. He also argues Trump’s deployment was a violation of the U.S. Constitution and Administrative Procedures Act. The lawsuit seeks to block the Trump administration from federalizing and deploying the California National Guard in L.A.

Why It Matters

President Trump’s escalation represents a dangerous anti-democratic attempt to extend federal power and test the limits of presidential authority to use the military against states and their citizens. After deploying the National Guard to L.A., Trump deployed out-of-state National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. citing “violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals,” despite violent crime in the city being at a 30-year low. The Trump administration has threatened to send National Guard troops to other Democratic-run cities, including Baltimore, New Orleans, New York City, San Francisco, and Oakland, CA.

Latest Updates

• Jan. 16, 2026: The court paused proceedings on defendants’ motion to dismiss pending resolution of ongoing Ninth Circuit appeals in this case and State of Oregon v. Trump.
• Dec. 31, 2025: Trump announced he is relinquishing federal control of the remaining 300 California National Guardsmen back to Gov. Newsom. The Trump administration also formally withdrew their appeal of the district court’s Dec. 10 PI blocking the Aug. and Oct. federalizations orders sending these troops to Los Angeles.
• Dec. 12, 2025: The Ninth Circuit temporarily paused the district court’s Dec. 10 order granting plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
• Dec. 11, 2025: The Trump administration appealed the Dec. 10 preliminary injunction to the Ninth Circuit.
• Dec. 10, 2025: The district court granted plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction blocking the Aug. 5 and Oct. 16 federalization orders sending 300 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
• Dec. 5, 2025: The district court heard arguments on plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction to block the second deployment of California National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Defendants also filed a motion to dismiss.
• Nov. 18, 2025: Defendants filed their opposition to plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
• Nov. 13, 2025: The Plaintiffs filed a renewed motion for preliminary injunction.
• Nov. 4, 2025: The district court will now move forward with briefings on plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction regarding the August wave of troop deployments to Los Angeles.
• Oct. 22, 2025: The Ninth Circuit denied rehearing arguments en banc.
• Oct. 22, 2025: The Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments on the Trump administration’s appeal of the district court’s Sept. 2 order blocking him from deploying the California National Guard in Los Angeles to operate in civilian law enforcement capacities.
• Sept. 9, 2025: The Ninth Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request to pause the district court’s Sept. 2 ruling pending appeal.
• Sept. 3, 2025: The Trump administration appealed to the Ninth Circuit the district court’s Sept. 2 ruling.
• Sept. 2, 2025: Newsom filed a new PI request asking the court to block the Trump administration’s second deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
• Sept. 2, 2025: The district court granted Newsom’s request for a PI blocking Trump’s initial deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles as it pertains to troops engaging in civilian law enforcement practices.
• Aug. 11-13, 2025: The district court held a trial on the PI.
• June 19, 2025: The Ninth Circuit issued a formal pause on the TRO.
• June 12, 2025: The Trump administration appealed. The Ninth Circuit issued an administrative stay for the district court’s TRO.
• June 12, 2025: The district court granted Newsom’s TRO request.
• June 9, 2025: Newsom filed his complaint. He asked the district court to grant a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction (PI).