While it is a strong win, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision to fully stay the lower court order was not unexpected.  The temporary restraining order issued by District Judge Charles Breyer was obviously political and legally weak, very weak.

The Ninth CCA simply affirmed that a violent crisis was afoot in California; federal officials and buildings were under attack; the local police and state government did nothing to stop it; so President Trump took legally authorized action to intervene, and took control of the national guard. [SEE RULING HERE]

The decision is not complicated.  The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded President Trump lawfully exercised his authority in federalizing control of the guard.  The ruling affirmed the Trump administration presented enough evidence to show it had a rationale for doing so, citing violent acts by protesters.

“The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van’s windows,” the court wrote. “The federal government’s interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.”

The court also found that even if the federal government failed to notify the governor of California before federalizing the National Guard as required by law, Newsom had no power to veto the president’s order.  A common sense straightforward interpretation of the law.

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Hopefully these are the political stunts that will force the reluctant hand of Attorney General Pam Bondi to intervene.  Criminal arrests and federal prosecutions of politicians pulling these stunts are needed.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander locked arms with an illegal alien as immigrations officials were removing the target for deportation.  Lander purposefully interfered in a federal apprehension of a criminal alien, and should be prosecuted.

The media are selectively showing a portion of the video after Lander is handcuffed by police.  However, in the earlier segment below you can clearly see Mr Lander intentionally locking arms with the target in an effort to stop ICE enforcement from taking custody.  WATCH:

.@bradlander just arrested at immigration court pic.twitter.com/nDqEK1Lzcw

— Courtney Gross (@courtneycgross) June 17, 2025

Judicial warrants are not required to apprehend and deport illegal aliens.

NEW YORK — New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander was handcuffed and detained by federal agents Tuesday afternoon while escorting migrants from immigration hearings in Lower Manhattan.

Footage and video of the hectic incident is firing up the third-place candidate’s suddenly energetic campaign, as he shows himself taking on an issue that’s central to President Donald Trump’s political agenda.

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I’m becoming increasingly convinced that people on the ConInc side of the conversation also need to pretend not to know things.

There is an increased sentiment of frustration toward President Donald Trump being espoused, and obviously that will be amplified by those who want to use a narrative of “increased sentiment of frustration toward President Trump.”

The part that surprises me is the part where people seem to have forgotten the purpose of the U.S. Senate.

CONTEXT – Currently there is a Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) in the senate, the culmination of years of work by President Trump and his team together with politicians in congress. There is no smaller BBB, there is no modified BBB, there is only one big comprehensive package of initiatives and priorities for President Trump’s agenda. One Big Beautiful Bill.

That’s it. Just this one legislative priority that has all the stuff Donald Trump promised in the 2024 election. It’s all in one bill; all of it. As a consequence, President Trump needs this bill to pass congress; there is no fallback position; there is no alternative; there is no safer option. The BBB is an all or nothing swing for the fences.

GAINING VOTES – This BBB is the legislative package approach that President Trump accepted. As a consequence whatever it takes to get that BBB legislation passed, is exactly what we should expect to see done. Remember, this is a legislative construct that only targets REPUBLICAN VOTES. Republicans control every element of this BBB discussion.

People not happy about President Trump remarks about illegal-alien farm workers. Well, President Trump is buying gaining the votes of Big Ag state senators.

People not happy about President Trump support for Israel. Well, President Trump is buying gaining the votes of Big War senators.

People not happy about President Trump support for more Ukraine weapons against a peace initiative targeting Vladimir Putin. Again, President Trump is buying gaining the votes of the defense contractor senators.

These are just a few examples of stuff in the background.  The passage of the BBB is a priority for President Trump and every Republican senator knows this.  Every single republican senator is willing to blackmail President Trump to get support for their vote.

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Border Czar Tom Homan appeared for a podcast discussion with Dr Phil.  Homan makes a strong point about the “customs” aspect in Customs and Border Patrol and outlines how it was customs enforcement that backstopped the reason for the ICE raid in Los Angeles.  There was a money laundering operation underway that had long been investigated.

“Dr. Phil and Border Czar Tom Homan break down the major LA raid targeting cartel-linked businesses, sparking protests and debate. They discuss a major multi-agency operation in Los Angeles targeting criminal enterprises in the garment industry. Homan explains how ICE, DEA, FBI, IRS, and other agencies collaborated to serve search warrants, uncovering $80 million in undeclared imports, $17 million in unpaid tariffs, and arresting 41 undocumented immigrants.

The operation, part of a larger investigation into money laundering and cartel activity, sparked intense protests and clashes outside targeted businesses. Homan discusses the challenges of balancing law enforcement with public outcry, the new zero-tolerance policy for interference, and the importance of transparency about the broader criminal context of these actions.” WATCH:

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Last night U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a ridiculous temporary restraining order (TRO) removing President Trump’s control of the California National Guard [SEE RULING HERE]. Charles Breyer is the 83-year-old younger brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

What made the TRO ruling transparently ridiculous was: (A) the state of California never requested a TRO; and (B) the citations Breyer used to underpin his decision were all left-wing media reports about the events.  The facts, his facts, underpinning his judicial opinion, were wrong.

Those who follow judicial writing will note that using media reports as citations inside judicial decisions is a common attribute of Lawfare operations. Factually, it seemed unlikely District Judge Breyer even wrote his own ruling; it reads like something from Norm Eisen or Mary McCord.

This morning, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked Breyer’s order just hours after he issued it [SEE RULING HERE].

The appellate intervention retains the power of President Trump as commander in chief over the California national guard. The appeals court set a Tuesday hearing on the full context of the matter, thereby ensuring Trump’s deployment will remain in place at least into next week.

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It was always going to be difficult to balance the long-term illegal alien workforce removal against the contrasted aggressive ICE deportation operation.  President Trump’s two statements on the issue today highlight the difficult dynamic.

Just hours before President Trump noted the aggressive deportation operation would continue, he also noted there would be leniency for farm workers and those in the hospitality industry.  Suggesting, “some changes are coming.”

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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stopped to briefly answer a media question after the event where Democrat Senator Padilla attempted to ambush Secretary Noem and was forcibly removed by federal security officials.  WATCH:

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It looked to me like Kristi Noem’s security detail did everything exactly as they would if anyone else attempted such a stunt. (more…)

Democrat Senator Alex Padilla claims he was in the federal building waiting for a scheduled briefing with federal officials and General Guillot, when he heard DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was giving a press briefing nearby.  Senator Padilla entered the room and attempted to rush toward Noem without announcing his intention; he was intercepted by security and forcibly removed from the room while he began saying who he was.

What is witnessed on the cameras is exactly what would happen to any random person who attempted to confront a cabinet secretary during press briefing. However, Padilla and his tribe are claiming victim status as an outcome of his attempted publicity stunt.  WATCH: 

According to CBS News, Secretary Noem was asked by a reporter about the incident and clarified that she does not know the senator and that he did not request a meeting with her.  “When I leave here, I’ll have a conversation with him and find out really what his concerns were,” Noem said. “I think everyone in America would agree that wasn’t appropriate.”

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According to a statement by New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a grand jury has indicted Representative LaMonica McIver (N.J) on three charges related to her involvement in a violent stunt at an ICE facility.

Previously the Dept of Homeland Security released body camera footage showing LaMonica McIver, instigating a violent confrontation with DHS and Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials in Newark, New Jersey.  The indictment today is another step in President Trump’s promise to continue targeting and deporting illegal aliens.

[SOURCE]

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Apparently, the prior narrative that everything was fine, there’s nothing to see here, just didn’t work.  As footage of looting, arson, violence and riots against law enforcement continues to highlight the false presentations of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, the mayor has now declared a local state of emergency – with an immediate 8:00pm curfew, starting tonight.  WATCH:

The same people burning cars, breaking into businesses, destroying property and throwing objects at law enforcement, are suddenly going to adhere to a curfew!  Huh, imagine that.

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