Round two of the legal fight betweenPresident Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsomon June 17 could determine whether Trump can keep control of the National Guard to protect immigration enforcement agents and suppress protesters in Los Angeles. A federal appeals court will hear arguments in San Francisco during a remote hearing regarding California's challenge to Trump's mobilization of the troops. Last week, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Trump's deployment of the California National Guard and returned control of the troops to Newsom, who did not approve the Guard's activation. Breyer's order called Trump's actions "illegal." Newsom later told reporters he was "gratified" with Breyer's decision. "Today was really about a test of democracy, and today we passed the test − we the people passed the test,"Newsomsaid. But the Trump administration swiftly appealed the ruling, arguing that the protests amounted to a "rebellion." Trump's team called Breyer's decision "unprecedented" and said it was an "extraordinary intrusion on the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief." The appeal led toan appeals court granting an administrative stay, halting the federal judge's ruling and allowing Trump to maintain control of the troops. Now, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's hearing comes as local organizers vow to continue protesting against immigration raids, despite demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles having somewhat calmed since the weekend. The hearing is yet another episode in "an interesting paradigm of power," between Trump and Newsom as the governor is trying to assert his role as a major leader in America's most populous state that also has theworld's fourth-largest economy, saidBrian Sobel, a longtime political analyst based in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Newsom is trying to establish with people that he's a national player, that he's presidential-worthy because he's willing to take Trump on," Sobel told USA TODAY. "He's choosing battles where he can have similar stature as the president, where he can assert his power and appear almost like a co-equal." More than just ICE raids:Trump's battle with Newsom, California expands beyond immigration The hearing will take place after about 4,000 National Guardsmen and700 Marineswere ordered to Los Angeles following protests over the raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other leaders repeatedly claimed thatTrump inflamed the protestsby sending in the military when it wasn't necessary. Los Angeles police saidmore than 500 arrestshave been made related to protest activity since June 7. The appeals court hearing also comes a day after Bass announced she has reduced the city's curfew hours after authorities made no overnight arrests on June 15 for the first time since protests began. "The curfew, coupled with ongoing crime prevention efforts, have been largely successful in protecting stores, restaurants, businesses and residential communities from bad actors who do not care about the immigrant community," Bass said in astatement. "I want the Downtown Los Angeles community of residents, business owners and events venues to know that my priority will continue to be ensuring safety, stability and support in the Downtown neighborhoods," Bass said. 'I hate it':LA residents who surveyed vandalism fear more violence in future protests Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the adjusted curfew reflects the progress authorities have made in reducing crime and vandalism within the city's curfew zone. "We're not letting our guard down," McDonnell said in a statement. "The LAPD will maintain a strong presence in the downtown area to ensure the safety of residents, businesses, and demonstrators alike." Bass has not indicated when the curfew will end. The mayor first announced the curfew on June 10 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. "to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting," she said. The curfew's boundaries will cover thesame one-square-mile stretchof downtown Los Angeles where the protests have largely taken place. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Can Newsom reclaim Guard troops in LA from Trump? Hearing set today
