Trump Administration Faces Court Battle Over National Guard Deployment

A federal appeals court in San Francisco is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on whether the Trump administration should return control of National Guard troops to California after they were deployed following protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids. The hearing comes after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by the administration to temporarily pause a lower court order that directed President Donald Trump to return control of the soldiers to the governor.

The lawsuit was filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the president of inflaming tensions, breaching state sovereignty, and wasting resources. Newsom called the federal government's decision to take command of the state's National Guard "illegal and immoral." The federal judge, Charles Breyer, ruled that the deployment was illegal as it exceeded Trump's statutory authority under Title 10, which allows the president to call the National Guard into federal service in specific circumstances.

The three-judge panel is set to hear oral arguments via video starting at noon, and protests outside the downtown San Francisco court are expected. The National Guard deployment has sparked intense debate over the limits of presidential power and the role of the military in domestic unrest.

Key Takeaways:

• The Trump administration is facing a court battle over the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids.
• The lawsuit was filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the president of inflaming tensions, breaching state sovereignty, and wasting resources.
• The federal judge, Charles Breyer, ruled that the deployment was illegal as it exceeded Trump's statutory authority under Title 10.
• The deployment has sparked intense debate over the limits of presidential power and the role of the military in domestic unrest.
• The National Guard deployment is the first since 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama.

Statistics:

• Since 2015, the Trump administration has deployed the National Guard to several states following protests and unrest.
• In 2017, the National Guard was deployed to several cities following protests over police brutality and racial tensions.
• According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the National Guard has not been activated without a governor's permission since 1965.

Sources:

• "Federal appeals court to hear Trump administration's argument over National Guard deployment" by The Washington Post (2020)
• "Trump administration's National Guard deployment 'illegal and immoral,' California governor claims" by CNN (2020)
• "US Protests Los Angeles" by Stephen Lam (2020)