It is likely that Trump had the authority to give orders to California's national guard, according to the assessment in the higher judicial instance. Last week, a judge in a first instance made the opposite assessment and stopped the president's decision.
Partly violent demonstrations broke out in Los Angeles last week in protest against the new raids in the federal government's escalated crackdown on migrants who lack residence permits.
Several thousand soldiers
Donald Trump then went over the head of California's governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, and gave orders to the state's national guard to intervene together with marine corps soldiers. 4,000 men from the national guard and 700 from the marine corps were sent out on the streets of the metropolis.
The appeals court's three judges point in their decision to the vandalism and clashes that occurred during the protests. The president has limited mandate to call in a national guard, they state, but add:
"The federal government's interest in preventing events like these is considerable."
Top political war of words
In a comment on social media, President Trump describes the new decision as a "great victory".
In a war of words over the past few weeks, Gavin Newsom – a potential candidate in the next presidential election – has accused Trump of acting like a king with unlimited power when he sends soldiers out on the streets. Trump has accused Newsom of failing miserably to keep California safe, albeit with many exaggerations of the extent of the social unrest.
