• The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Trump can retain control of California's National Guard.
• Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit argues Trump acted illegally in federalizing the troops.
• The ruling is a significant assertion of presidential authority over state National Guards.

A U.S. appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump can keep control over the California National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles in response to protests against his immigration policy. The unanimous decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocks a previous ruling from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, which deemed Trump's actions illegal due to lack of proper coordination with Governor Gavin Newsom, who opposed the deployment, according to CBS News and Reuters.

The appeals court's ruling allows for the continued deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard troops, marking the first instance since 1965 that a president has mobilized National Guard troops without a governor's consent. The court found that Trump's assertion of authority under federal law was likely valid, despite Newsom's objections that the situation in Los Angeles did not amount to a "rebellion," as claimed by Trump, according to HuffPost, Channel News Asia, and SCMP.

Judge Breyer had previously ruled that Trump acted beyond his legal authority when he activated the troops, emphasizing that presidents can only exert such control during times of significant unrest, like rebellion, which he stated the protests did not represent. The appeals court, however, indicated that the evidence of violence by protesters justified Trump's actions, reflecting a significant interpretation of executive power in civil contexts, as reported by India Times, Anadolu Agency, and Newsweek.

The Trump administration has characterized the deployment as necessary for protecting federal personnel and properties amid rising tensions from protests against immigration enforcement activities. Despite this, Newsom reiterated his legal stance against what he termed an "authoritarian use" of military resources, emphasizing that he would continue to pursue the challenge in court, according to Al Jazeera and BBC.