California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has ordered an end to the extended federalization and deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles. The decision returns command of the remaining troops back to Governor Gavin Newsom, with the court’s order set to take effect on December 15, 2025.
The Trump Administration had federalized the California National Guard following incidents of violence in June, leading to a prolonged military presence in Los Angeles. In its preliminary injunction, the District Court stated, “The Founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balances. Defendants, however, make clear that the only check they want is a blank one.” The order will remain stayed until mid-December.
Attorney General Bonta commented on the ruling: “Once again, a court has firmly rejected the President’s attempt to make the National Guard a traveling national police force,” said Attorney General Bonta. “For more than five months, the Trump Administration has held California National Guard troops hostage as part of its political games. But the President is not king. And he cannot federalize the National Guard whenever, wherever, and for however long he wants, without justification. This is a good day for our democracy and the strength of the rule of law.”
Earlier this year in June, Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom filed suit against what they described as unlawful orders from the Trump Administration that sought to use National Guard troops for civilian law enforcement in Los Angeles—a move they argued violated both state authority and federal laws such as the Posse Comitatus Act. That month, emergency relief was granted by the same district court blocking those orders and returning control over state forces to Governor Newsom; this order remains under review by an appellate court.
In August, evidence regarding potential violations of federal law restricting military involvement in domestic affairs was presented during a three-day trial before this district court. Following these proceedings, a permanent injunction was issued against similar future actions by federal authorities but is temporarily paused pending further judicial review.
In October, Attorney General Bonta also succeeded in stopping efforts to deploy California National Guard personnel across state lines into Oregon over objections from both states’ governors after arguments were heard from legal representatives at multiple levels.
Bonta has supported other states challenging similar deployments—including Illinois and Washington D.C.—and recently filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court backing Illinois’s challenge regarding Chicago deployments.
