A California court ruled that the administration of former President Donald Trump violated the law by deploying military personnel in Los Angeles. Judge Charles Breyer declared that sending 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines was illegal.
The ruling prohibits the use of the military for arrests and city patrols, except in very limited circumstances. This decision comes as Trump seeks to use National Guard forces to combat crime in other U.S. cities and to support immigration enforcement.
Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the U.S. military cannot be used for civilian duties without Congressional approval. Trump had deployed troops to manage protests against his immigration policies, but the California governor and local residents opposed the action.
Judge Breyer emphasized that there was no uprising, and civilian authorities were capable of handling the situation. He warned that using the military for police tasks would create an illegal force under presidential direction.
Trump is expected to appeal the decision by September 12. The court case relied on testimony from three senior law enforcement and special forces experts, who argued that the risk to law enforcement officers was low and that actions had followed presidential orders.
This ruling halts Trump’s plans to deploy troops in major cities and raises broader questions about the use of military forces in civilian affairs, a debate that continues across the United States.
