A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law by deploying National Guard troops during immigration enforcement operations and protests in Southern California. Judge Charles Breyer, issuing the decision from San Francisco on Tuesday, found that sending troops to Los Angeles over the summer broke a law prohibiting the use of the military to enforce domestic laws.
Although the judge did not order an immediate withdrawal, he set his ruling to take effect on Friday. The lawsuit was brought by California, which argued the deployment violated the long-standing Posse Comitatus Act. Attorneys for the administration countered that the act did not apply because the troops were assigned to protect federal officers rather than enforce laws, and that the president had the authority to mobilize them.
The ruling comes as President Donald Trump has floated the idea of using the National Guard in other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, Baltimore, and New York. He has already deployed them in Washington, D.C., where he holds direct authority.