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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/02/trumps-national-guard-troops-los-angeles-illegal
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| Trump illegally deployed national guard during LA Ice protests, judge rules | Trump illegally deployed national guard during LA Ice protests, judge rules |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Judge said administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany Ice agents on immigration raids | Judge said administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany Ice agents on immigration raids |
| US politics live – latest updates | US politics live – latest updates |
| A judge has ruled the Trump administration’s use of national guard troops during southern California immigration enforcement protests is illegal. | A judge has ruled the Trump administration’s use of national guard troops during southern California immigration enforcement protests is illegal. |
| Judge Charles Breyer ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump’s administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents on immigration raids. The judge did not require the remaining troops withdrawn, however. | Judge Charles Breyer ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump’s administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents on immigration raids. The judge did not require the remaining troops withdrawn, however. |
| California sued, saying the troops sent to Los Angeles over the summer were violating a law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for the Republican administration have argued the Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply because the troops were protecting federal officers not enforcing laws. | California sued, saying the troops sent to Los Angeles over the summer were violating a law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for the Republican administration have argued the Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply because the troops were protecting federal officers not enforcing laws. |
| They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them. | They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them. |
| Breyer – who was appointed to the federal bench by former Democratic president Bill Clinton’s administration – ruled the deployment violated an 1878 law that generally bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement. | Breyer – who was appointed to the federal bench by former Democratic president Bill Clinton’s administration – ruled the deployment violated an 1878 law that generally bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement. |
| “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 the judgment. | |
| Breyer said that his order was paused until Friday which would provide the Trump administration with an avenue to appeal before it goes into effect. | Breyer said that his order was paused until Friday which would provide the Trump administration with an avenue to appeal before it goes into effect. |
| The Trump administration is involved in a broad crackdown on immigration and has targeted Democrat-run cities, threatening the use of the national guard and increasing the amount of federal agents involved in operations. | The Trump administration is involved in a broad crackdown on immigration and has targeted Democrat-run cities, threatening the use of the national guard and increasing the amount of federal agents involved in operations. |
| Trump has discussed further national guard deployments in Chicago, Baltimore and New York. He has already deployed the guard as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover in Washington DC, where the US president has direct legal control. | Trump has discussed further national guard deployments in Chicago, Baltimore and New York. He has already deployed the guard as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover in Washington DC, where the US president has direct legal control. |
| Trump’s decision to deploy national guard troops into Los Angeles, against the wishes of state and local officials, sent shock waves through American politics. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and other Democratic leaders have sharply criticized the move, describing it as an alarming abuse of power. | |
| Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 national guard troops in June after two days of clashes between demonstrators and US immigration authorities. The decision marked a swift escalation in a broad immigration crackdown following raids across the country, which have triggered protests. | |
| Trump’s federalization of guard troops was the first time a US president has used such power since the 1992 LA riots, when widespread violence broke out in reaction to the acquittal of four white police officers for brutally beating Black motorist Rodney King. There was nowhere near the same degree of unrest in LA this year. | |
| Trump did it again on 11 August, ordering more than 2,200 soldiers from states including Mississippi and Louisiana to Washington DC after his declaration of a “crime emergency” in the US capital. The US Department of Transportation also assumed management of Union Station, Washington’s main railway terminal, from Amtrak, citing safety concerns and infrastructure needs. | |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | The Associated Press contributed to this report |