A federal judge ruled Tuesday that US President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to California to quell protests over immigration raids in June, violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits using the military for domestic law enforcement.
“There were indeed protests in Los Angeles, and some individuals engaged in violence,” Judge Charles R. Breyer wrote, but “there was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests.” Breyer’s ruling hands a win to California Gov. Gavin Newsom who had sued the administration over the deployment.
The White House is expected to appeal the decision; the administration last week telegraphed plans to expand its National Guard deployments to Democrat-run cities including New York, Chicago, and Seattle.