The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued a partial administrative stay that blocks, at least temporarily, the deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles. The decision allows part of an earlier order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California—which barred the deployment—to remain in effect, while pausing another part that would have returned federalized California National Guard troops to the Governor’s command.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta commented on the ruling: “The Ninth Circuit’s decision means that, come Monday, there will be no National Guard troops deployed in California. Let me repeat: For the first time in six months, there will be no military deployed on the streets of Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Bonta. “While this decision is not final, it is a gratifying and hard-fought step in the right direction. California did not ask to be a testing ground for the President’s militarized vision of America. There is no crisis to justify the National Guard’s continued presence, and we look forward to continuing to prove that in court.”
The legal dispute follows months of debate over whether there was justification for deploying military forces within Los Angeles. The Ninth Circuit’s action keeps current restrictions on troop deployments intact while litigation continues.