SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Ahead of expected weekend protests, a federal appeals court issued an order late Thursday that temporarily allows President Donald Trump to maintain control of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles.

It comes after a brief legal win for California leaders earlier in the day, when a U.S. District Court judge in San Francisco ruled that Trump did not follow proper legal procedure when federalizing the guard without Governor Gavin Newsom's approval.

"This was really about a test of democracy," Newsom told reporters Thursday evening. "And today, we passed the test."

Just hours later, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked that lower ruling, meaning the president retains control of the National Guard troops ahead of expected weekend protests over immigration enforcement.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump celebrated the appeals court's decision.

"If I didn't send the military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground," the president said. "We saved L.A."

Anticipating an appeal before it happened, Newsom said he is assured the courts will ultimately side with California on this issue.

"I'm confident in the rule of law. I'm confident in the Constitution," said Newsom. "It will stand."

It comes as roughly 200 Marines are being deployed to Los Angeles on Friday to protect federal property and personnel, according to a military commander.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized the appeals court's ruling is not the end of the fight.

"This isn't the final decision in our case, and it doesn't yet make a determination on the Marines that have been deployed," Bonta told reporters on Thursday.

ABC7 News insider Phil Matier said the presence of active-duty Marines in Los Angeles could escalate the situation and lead to more legal filings.

"I think we're going to see a lot of movement. We're going to see papers filed. We're going to see statements made. What we're not probably going to see is an immediate decision," Matier said.

He added that this could be a high-stakes weekend for both state and federal leaders.

"I think we're going to see a lot of movement-papers filed, statements made. What we're probably not going to see is an immediate decision," Matier said.

And if unrest breaks out, he speculates optics may favor the president.

"While the governor is challenging the president's right to take over the National Guard, the president is saying, 'Well, you weren't doing enough to begin with,'" Matier said. "He's pointing to the Waymos going up in flames and the concrete blocks being dropped on police. Whereas Gavin Newsom is talking about something more philosophical, which is the rights of states and authoritarianism."

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will weigh in on these constitutional questions further on Tuesday.