Ninth Circuit rules Trump’s National Guard federalization in Los Angeles was illegal
Appeals court says anti-ICE protests did not constitute a rebellion and the president lacked authority to commandeer state forces
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on October 23 that President Donald Trump’s June 2025 federalization of the California National Guard in Los Angeles was likely illegal, marking a significant limit on presidential emergency powers. The decision, which defines “rebellion” narrowly, has little immediate effect because the deployment ended after a Supreme Court ruling in a related Illinois case, but it establishes that executive claims of emergency authority are subject to judicial review.