A federal judge in California ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump must return control of the California National Guard, finding that the federalization of the guard over the weekend in response to Los Angeles protests likely violated federal law and the Constitution.
Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California wrote in an order that Trump’s move did not meet the standards laid out by the law, which required a “rebellion” or that the president was unable to carry out federal law — which the at-times violent protests over the weekend did not reach.
Breyer, in granting a temporary restraining order, directed Trump to return control of 4,000 members of the state guard to Gov. Gavin Newsom, but delayed the effect of his ruling until noon Friday.