Share and Follow
The prolonged dispute between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom regarding the control of the National Guard in Los Angeles might soon reach a resolution, as indicated by recent court documents.
On Tuesday, lawyers from the Department of Justice submitted a filing to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, stepping back from their attempt to retain federal command over the National Guard troops.
Related: Gov. Newsom threatens legal action against the Trump administration over potential National Guard deployment in San Francisco.
In the brief, federal attorneys stated, “Defendants do not oppose lifting of the partial administrative stay and hereby respectfully withdraw their motion for a stay pending appeal.”
This development comes shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court halted the Trump administration’s National Guard deployment in Chicago.
California’s legal standoff began in June, when Trump first sent thousands of National Guard members and hundreds of U.S. Marines into Los Angeles in response to intense protests over federal immigration raids.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a blistering ruling, ordering Trump to restore control of the about 100 troops in Los Angeles to Newsom.
In earlier hearings and filings, the D.O.J argued that troops must remain in a president’s control indefinitely after being federalized and that such orders are not reviewable by the courts. Despite months of calm in downtown L.A. following the June protests, the federal government argued the threat of more protests remains.
In his Dec. 10 order, Breyer called their arguments “shocking,” saying that interpretation would “permit a president to create a perpetual police force comprised of state troops, so long as they were first federalized lawfully.”
The governor’s office said it looks forward to an official ruling from the 9th Circuit to restore those troops back to state service.
“This admission by Trump and his occult cabinet members means this illegal intimidation tactic will finally come to an end,” his office said on X.
A spokesperson for Newsom said the 9th Circuit could act as early as Wednesday.

Copyright © 2025 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.