California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom have filed a court motion seeking to block the Trump Administration’s recent order to federalize and deploy 300 California National Guard members for an additional 90 days. The officials are also asking the court to return control of the state’s National Guard to Governor Newsom.
The Trump Administration issued the new deployment order on August 5, 2025, despite earlier reductions in troop numbers and a lack of ongoing civil unrest. According to Bonta and Newsom, this move would keep National Guard troops deployed through November 5, which is Election Day.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “The Trump Administration continues to hold our National Guard servicemembers hostage as part of an unprecedented attempt to militarize American streets. The initial federalization and deployment of these troops was unjustified — their redeployment for an additional 90 days is absurd. We’re asking the court to block implementation of this latest order, and we are confident that given the facts — or lack thereof — underpinning this order, the court will agree.”
Governor Newsom added, “The timing of Trump’s extension of the National Guard soldiers isn’t coincidental — he’s holding onto soldiers through Election Day. There was never a need and there is not a need now for soldiers to be deployed against their communities. The federal government hasn’t even tried to justify keeping the military in Los Angeles because they can’t. The reality is this — they want to continue their intimidation tactics to scare Californians into submission.”
Since July 1, 2025, federalized National Guard troops had been gradually reduced without incident until only 300 remained by early August. Despite no reported invasion, rebellion, or inability for local authorities to enforce law at that time in California, the administration extended its order for another three months.
During their previous deployment period, National Guard members took part in low-risk law enforcement operations in Los Angeles and other communities over 100 miles away from any significant incidents. Federal law enforcement officials often requested support from these troops as a precautionary measure rather than out of necessity based on risk assessments. Reports indicate that up to 75% of immigration arrests involved federalized National Guard accompaniment during initial weeks.
Bonta and Newsom argue that these deployments included activities prohibited under the Posse Comitatus Act by involving military personnel directly in civilian law enforcement roles.
In June, Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom filed a lawsuit challenging what they describe as unlawful orders by the Trump Administration regarding both National Guard and Marine involvement in civilian policing within Los Angeles. In August, evidence concerning violations of the Posse Comitatus Act was presented during a three-day trial before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California; earlier today that court granted an injunction permanently preventing similar actions by federal authorities in future cases.
A copy of their motion for preliminary injunction is available online.
