(Image Credit: IMAGN) Stanislaus County, CA, USA; California Governor Gavin Newsom (C), and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (L) meet with NorCal Carpenters Union workers along the construction of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for the future site of Proxima Solar Farm in Stanislaus County, California, USA, 19 May 2023. The Governor unveiled legislation to speed up construction for a streamlined process and to expedite court review on legal challenges that often tie up projects. The project is expected to create 300 construction jobs and generate $35 million in local revenue. The project is expected to be operational by December, could power 60,000 homes in the surrounding region and can generate up to 210 megawatts of clean, renewable energy and 177 megawatts of better energy storage. Mandatory Credit: John G. Mabanglo/Pool via USA TODAY NETWORK
Los Angeles, California – A federal judge on Tuesday declined to immediately grant California Governor Gavin Newsom’s request to halt President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, instead scheduling a hearing for later this week. The decision, though procedural, places a temporary pause on one of the most significant legal and political confrontations between California’s Democratic governor and the former Republican president.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the federal government should be allowed time to respond before he considers the emergency restraining order Newsom is seeking. The Trump administration now has until 11 a.m. Wednesday to file its response, with arguments from both sides to be heard in court on Thursday.
The governor’s legal challenge follows Trump’s sudden announcement last week that hundreds of National Guard troops would be sent into Los Angeles to “restore order” amid ongoing protests over immigration raids and detentions. The move has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and elected officials alike, who say it escalates tensions and undermines state sovereignty.
Newsom’s request to the court emphasized the urgency of the situation, asking for a ruling by 1 p.m. Tuesday to prevent what he described as “irreparable harm” to Californians’ constitutional rights. While the judge did not rule on the substance of the request, the deferral signals a cautious judicial approach to what has quickly become a flashpoint in national politics.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office reiterated that the court had not rejected the request, saying in a statement, “The court set a hearing for Thursday, after the federal government and the state file additional briefs, and we anticipate the court will rule on the request for a TRO a short time later.”
The legal battle comes amid increasingly heated rhetoric between Newsom and Trump. The president, speaking at a rally earlier this week, suggested he would support the arrest of the California governor — a comment that stunned even seasoned political observers.
“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting governor,” Newsom responded on social media. “This is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
Vice President J.D. Vance weighed in as well, criticizing Newsom and calling on him to “do your job.” The court’s hearing on Thursday is expected to be a pivotal moment in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes legal and constitutional confrontation.
