“The district court has no authority to usurp the president’s authority as commander in chief,” Kelly said in an emailed statement to the Southern California News Group. “The president exercised his lawful authority to mobilize the National Guard to protect federal buildings and personnel in Gavin Newsom’s lawless Los Angeles.”

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday temporarily blocked a federal judge's order that directed President Donald Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California after he deployed them in response to protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.

Trump ignited a fight with Newsom after deploying thousands of National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell demonstrations protesting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the city. Trump has lashed out at Newsom, suggesting earlier this week that the sitting governor should be arrested.