Judge Halts Trump’s Deployment of National Guard in Los Angeles

The judge rejected the federal government’s claim that the federal takeover of the California National Guard was justified.

California National Guard members stand in formation during the protest in Los Angeles on June 14, 2025. David Pashaee/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge on Dec. 10 blocked President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Los Angeles to deal with civil unrest.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer rejected the Trump administration’s argument that protests against federal immigration authorities constituted a rebellion that warranted the president’s federalization of California National Guard troops.