National Judge Declares Trump's Deployment of National Guard during Los Angeles Immigration Protests as Unlawful
The Trump administration's decision to deploy National Guard troops in California has been met with a legal setback, as U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the administration "willfully" broke federal law.
The ruling, made in San Francisco, barred troops from making arrests, searches, acting as informants, and collecting evidence. The judge's 52-page ruling also noted President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's intention to deploy National Guard troops to other cities across the country.
The deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles was the first time in decades without a request from the state's governor, marking a significant escalation. Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were initially deployed to Los Angeles in early June.
Army Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman testified that soldiers accompanied federal immigration officers on raids at two state-licensed marijuana nurseries in Ventura County. Sherman, who was told by his superiors that there was a "constitutional exception" that permitted such activities when the troops are protecting federal property or personnel, also testified that he raised concerns about the deployment potentially violating the Posse Comitatus Act.
California sued over the deployment of troops, claiming it violates the Posse Comitatus Act, a 1878 law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the Posse Comitatus Act doesn't apply because the troops were protecting federal officers, not enforcing laws.
The White House indicated plans to appeal the ruling. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in response, causing disruptions and damage. Governor Gavin Newsom of California stated that the court decision sided with democracy.
In a related development, Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have expressed plans to sue if Trump moves forward with the deployment to Chicago. Ret. Army Lt. Col. Daniel Maurer stated that the Trump administration's use of the National Guard domestically is the most aggressive in recent history with weak facts to support it.
President Donald Trump indicated plans to send National Guard troops to Chicago after the federal judge's ruling, but did not specify a date. The ruling did not require the 300 remaining soldiers to leave, but it ordered the administration to stop using them "to execute the laws." The deployment of National Guard troops was in response to protests over immigration raids.
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