COURT SAYS DEPLOYMENT EXCEEDED EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT CHECK ON PRESIDENTIAL POWER
A federal judge ruled that President Trump must withdraw National Guard forces from Los Angeles, concluding the deployment exceeded lawful executive authority.
A federal judge issued a ruling Wednesday ordering President Donald Trump to end the National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, concluding that the activation lacked proper legal justification and overstepped the limits of federal executive authority. The decision delivers a rare judicial check on presidential power in matters involving domestic troop deployment.
According to the ruling, the administration did not meet the legal requirements needed to maintain federalized National Guard forces within the state. The court emphasized that the President’s authority under the Insurrection Act and related statutes is not unlimited, and must align with clearly defined emergency conditions.
California officials had challenged the deployment, arguing that the federal government bypassed state coordination procedures and prolonged the Guard’s presence without demonstrating a continuing need. The judge agreed that the evidence failed to show ongoing emergency circumstances that would justify overriding state control.
Legal analysts say the decision could have broad implications for the balance of power between federal and state governments, especially in cases where the President attempts to use military resources for domestic enforcement. The ruling underscores that courts can intervene even in matters traditionally granted wide executive discretion.
The Justice Department is expected to appeal the decision, and the White House has not yet issued a detailed response. For now, National Guard units in Los Angeles are expected to begin phased withdrawal once implementation orders are finalized.
State officials called the ruling “a victory for constitutional limits,” while supporters of the deployment warned that the decision may hinder crisis-response flexibility during future emergencies.
