former President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided not to hold another hearing in the case called Newsom v. Trump. This means the earlier ruling stays in place and lets Trump keep control over California’s National Guard troops that were sent to Los Angeles during protests earlier in 2025.
The court made its decision on October 22, 2025. Most judges didn’t agree to rehear the case.
This case matters because it deals with how much power a president has to use military forces inside the country, especially when a state governor doesn’t agree. The ruling supports Trump’s right to take temporary control of state National Guard troops during times of unrest. It could give future presidents more freedom to do the same in other states if protests or emergencies happen.
The case started after protests in Los Angeles on June 6, 2025, following federal immigration raids. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said they arrested 44 people and detained around 70 to 80 others. The protests got heated, and there was some damage and violence.
The next day, Trump ordered 4,000 members of the California National Guard to come under federal control for 60 days to protect federal workers and property. Governor Newsom disagreed and said Trump broke the rules by not going through him, as the law requires.
Newsom and California sued Trump, saying he went beyond his legal authority and violated the state’s rights. A lower court first sided with Newsom, saying Trump’s order was unconstitutional. But Trump’s team appealed, and a three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit said Trump probably acted within his power because local police couldn’t control the violence fast enough.
Two of the judges had been appointed by Trump and one by Biden. They ruled that Trump’s action was likely legal and that even if there was a small mistake in how the order was sent, it wasn’t enough to stop the deployment.
Some judges on the court disagreed strongly with this. Judge Marsha Berzon said it was dangerous to let presidents send troops into American cities whenever protests happen. She warned that it could open the door for future misuse of military power at home. Judge Ronald Gould also said the full court should have looked at the case again to prevent too much presidential power.
For now, Trump’s legal win stays in place. The California National Guard remains under federal control for the time being, and Newsom’s only remaining option is to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision by early 2026.
This case will influence how much authority presidents have to use the military inside the country and how much control states keep over their own troops. Other similar cases in Oregon and Illinois are also moving through the courts, which could bring the issue to the Supreme Court soon.
Trump said he sent troops to stop things from getting worse and would remove them when it was safe. Newsom accused Trump of using the military as a political weapon and said he would keep fighting in court to stop him.
