A federal judge in California has ruled that President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles in June following immigration protests that escalated into violence was unlawful under federal law.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a decision declaring that the use of military forces in this capacity violated the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 law that prohibits federal troops from engaging in civilian law enforcement unless specifically authorized by Congress.
“This was intentional—Defendants instigated a months-long deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles for the purpose of establishing a military presence there and enforcing federal law. Such conduct is a serious violation of the Posse Comitatus Act,” Breyer wrote in his ruling.
The judge emphasized that while most troops are no longer stationed in Los Angeles, his order bars any remaining forces from conducting arrests, searches, traffic patrols, or riot control unless a valid legal exception is established.
To give the Trump administration time to challenge the decision, Breyer temporarily paused enforcement of his order until Friday, opening a narrow window for an appeal.
This case marks a continuation of legal battles over Trump’s handling of military power during protests. A previous order from Judge Breyer—which required Trump to return control of the National Guard to California Governor Gavin Newsom (D)—was overturned by an appeals court.
The ruling underscores the ongoing tension between federal authority and state control in times of civil unrest, raising questions about the limits of presidential power in deploying the military within U.S. cities.
