The Trump administration has dropped its opposition to a court order returning control of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to court papers obtained today.
In a two-sentence filing with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, government lawyers said they no longer oppose lifting a partial administrative stay and formally withdrew their request to keep the troops under federal control while the appeal proceeds.
A federal judge earlier this month ordered President Donald Trump to return control of some 300 California National Guard troops to the state, potentially ending their deployment in Los Angeles over six months after they were sent to the city to protect federal facilities and personnel involved with the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
A stay immediately requested by the U.S. Department of Justice allowed the administration to retain control of the troops. Part of that request was not granted, and the troops were pulled from Los Angeles.
Tuesday’s supplemental brief states that the DOJ does not “oppose lifting of the partial administrative stay and hereby respectfully withdraw their motion for a stay pending appeal,” effectively returning control of the troops to Newsom.
Trump ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles on June 7, after initial federal raids to combat illegal immigration were met with massive protests that occasionally turned violent. He argued that local law enforcement authorities were not able to adequately protect the safety of immigration officials and federal vehicles and buildings in the area.
The deployment was later reduced to about 300 troops. California sued the administration to end the deployment, claiming the move violated the Constitution.
Following the summer deployment, Trump repeatedly defended the move, contending that it quelled massive riots that threatened to destroy much of the city — even though the immigration protests were largely restricted to a several-block area near the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. He also boasted — without proof or evidence — that absent his actions, the city would have lost the 2028 Olympic Games and next year’s World Cup.
Los Angeles and California officials opposed to the deployment noted that the National Guard troops played no role in actually breaking up protests or civil disturbances, with their deployment primarily restricted to standing guard outside the downtown federal building to prevent unauthorized access. Work to quell protests was done primarily by the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol.
“For more than five months, the Trump administration has held California National Guard troops hostage as part of its political games,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta previously said in a statement. “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.”
