Description: Following last weekend’s massive No Kings anti – immigration protests in Los Angeles, the legal battle over Trump’s control of the Los Angeles National Guard continued to unravel. Three judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that Trump acted lawfully in invoking federalized control over the National Guard sidestepping the Governor of the State of California, Gavin Newsom. The Court further stated that Trump’s administration has presented sufficient evidence in defense of the federalization of the National Guard as local law enforcement evidently struggled in maintaining order in the city of LA. Newsom stated that his legal team would continue to contest the decision of the Circuit Court of Appeals in order to prevent the misuse of the National Guard as a substitute for local law enforcement.
Impact: With the latest court ruling, Trump gains significant legal background in enforcing his immigration policies which have caused massive civil unrest in several cities across the US. The contested federalization of the National Guard suppresses the jurisdictional power of the local government which may cause further civil backlash and intensification of the public response on Trump’s immigration crackdown. Newsom’s statements signify the legal back and forth is far from its conclusion as the National Guard remains indefinitely deployed in LA. The militarization of civil response mechanisms incited by the US President coupled with the consistent clashes between Trump’s administration and the local government position the situation in a temporary stagnation with the potential for transpiring towards prolonged civil and political crisis.