Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1354 on Sept. 19, preventing out‑of‑state National Guard personnel from entering California for military or law‑enforcement duties without his approval. The law was prompted by concerns that federal forces could be deployed to polling places ahead of the November midterms. Democratic state parties also launched a "New Battlefield Project" to recruit volunteers to protect polling sites. A prior 2,000‑troop deployment to Los Angeles in June 2025 was later blocked by a federal judge.
Newsom Signs Law Blocking Out‑of‑State National Guard From California Amid Poll‑Site Deployment Fears
Potential 2028 presidential candidate, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an event held by the state Democratic Party at the Penn Center on September 3, 2026 on St. Helena Island, South Carolina.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday, Sept. 19, signed Senate Bill 1354, a law that bars National Guard troops from other states, territories or the District of Columbia from entering California to perform military or law‑enforcement duties without the governor's permission.
SB 1354 explicitly prohibits "military personnel from another state, territory, or the District of Columbia from entering California to perform military duty or law‑enforcement functions without the permission of the Governor." The measure was framed by supporters as a safeguard against the use of out‑of‑state forces to influence or intimidate voters at polling locations during the upcoming November midterm elections.
Newsom said in a press release: "In California, the National Guard is deployed to serve the people, not to intimidate them. In any matters of public safety, security, and beyond, California will continue to lead."
Context And Reaction
The law was enacted amid concerns that the federal government might send troops to polling places or otherwise intervene in ways that could affect election administration. Separately, Democratic state parties announced the "New Battlefield Project," which the Associated Press says aims to recruit 10,000 volunteers to help guard polling sites across the country.
Newsom's action follows a contested federal intervention more than a year earlier, when then‑President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June 2025 after protests over his immigration policies at times turned violent. Trump said federal forces were necessary because of what he described as inaction by state and local officials; Gov. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass disputed that characterization.
In December, a federal judge blocked that 2025 deployment and ordered that control of the guardsmen be returned to Governor Newsom.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. USA TODAY's N'dea Yancey‑Bragg contributed to this report.
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