Judge rules Trump illegally deployed National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles

A federal judge in California on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration violated a 19th-century law barring the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement activities when it mobilized 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June.

"The evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers (whose identity was often obscured by protective armor) and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles," U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said in a 52-page filing.
"In short, Defendants violated the Posse Comitatus Act," he said.

The judge's ruling strikes a blow to President Donald Trump's push to deploy troops to city streets as part of an effort to fight crime. Critics have branded the deployments as a federal government overreach.

Trump first deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles before sending soldiers into Washington, D.C., enraging many political opponents and residents. The president has indicated his interest in deploying troops to other cities as well.

“Once again, a rogue judge is trying to usurp the authority of the Commander-in-Chief to protect American cities from violence and destruction," Anna Kelly, White House spokesperson, said in a statement.