US Appeals court backs Trump admin deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid anti-immigration protests

Court cites protest violence to justify federal action

In its ruling, the three-judge panel said that while the president doesn’t have unlimited power over state troops, the Trump administration had a reasonable explanation for intervention. The court cited “undisputed facts” showing that protesters had violently targeted federal officers and property.

“Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van’s windows,” the court noted, as reported by AP. “The federal government’s interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.”

While federal law typically requires that the president notify a governor before federalising a state’s National Guard, the court found that Governor Newsom had no authority to veto the president’s order. Even if there was a lapse in procedural communication, the ruling said, it did not invalidate the deployment.

Initial ruling

The legal dispute began when Newsom filed a lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s order. US District Judge Charles Breyer — appointed by former President Bill Clinton — ruled in Newsom’s favor, stating that the president could only assume control in situations of “rebellion or danger of rebellion.”

“The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of ‘rebellion,’” Breyer wrote.

However, Trump’s administration countered that courts should not second-guess the president’s judgment on matters of national safety and quickly secured a temporary pause of Breyer’s decision. Thursday’s ruling solidifies that pause, at least for now.

What had happened

The National Guard was deployed following a wave of protests sparked by federal immigration enforcement actions, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Many protests took place near federal buildings, which the Trump administration argued fell outside the jurisdiction of local law enforcement.

To bolster security, the administration increased troop numbers to roughly 4,800, including both National Guard members and US Marines, according to CNBC. This buildup occurred even as the protests began to subside and Los Angeles lifted its curfews.

Officials maintained that the deployment was essential to protect federal agents and property and dismissed the earlier court ruling that had temporarily blocked it.

(With inputs from AP, CNBC, NBC News)

From the homepage

J&K’s only AAP MLA is first legislator to be detained under Public Safety Act for a year

‘Not citizenship proof’: SC directs poll panel to accept Aadhaar as 12th document in Bihar SIR

Vice-President election: In boost to NDA’s Radhakrishnan, BJD to abstain from voting