A judge has ordered President Donald Trump to relinquish control of the California National Guard back to the state.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer for the Northern District of California ruled that the decision to deploy the National Guard amounts to “serious injury to the constitutional balance of power between the federal and state governments, and it sets a dangerous precedent for future domestic military activity.”

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He wrote that the action was illegal and violated the 10th Amendment, which limits the federal government’s power to what is granted by the Constitution.

Breyer said the Trump administration has “no legitimate interest in doing so beyond the bounds of their authority” and that demilitarizing Los Angeles could de-escalate the situation.

“Regardless, Plaintiffs and the citizens of Los Angeles face a greater harm from the continued unlawful militarization of their city, which not only inflames tensions with protesters, threatening increased hostilities and loss of life, but deprives the state for two months of its own use of thousands of National Guard members to fight fires, combat the fentanyl trade, and perform other critical functions,” Breyer wrote.

Trump had deployed the California National Guard in the state to quell unrest from the Los Angeles protests, which occurred due to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the region. He said the move was necessary or else the city would be “burning to the ground.”

He’s also deployed hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles to help. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) called Trump’s move to deploy them and the National Guard an overreach.

“U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country — defending democracy. They are not political pawns. The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend. It’s a blatant abuse of power,” he posted on X.

The Department of Justice has filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

“Today’s order makes clear that he is not above or beyond constitutional constraints,” Newsom said in a press conference following the decision. “Constitution sets forth limits. The president is a constitutional officer. The president of the United States works under the Constitution. And so we are very gratified by this decision.”

DEMOCRATS STRAIN FOR NUANCE IN DEFENDING LOS ANGELES PROTESTERS

Newsom later added, “We pushed back against overreach. We pushed back against these authoritarian tendencies of a president that has pushed the boundaries, pushed the limit, but no longer can push this state around any longer.”

In the same press conference, he declined to share a readout of his call with Trump. He said they never discussed the National Guard but that Trump shared details that would send “shivers up your spine.”