Federal Judges Rule Trump's National Guard Deployments in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Unlawful
Federal judges, including Judge Charles Breyer, ruled President Trump's National Guard deployments in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. unlawful, citing Posse Comitatus Act violations.
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Overview
- Multiple federal judges, including Judge Charles Breyer, ruled President Trump's deployment of National Guard and military personnel to Los Angeles unlawful during immigration enforcement and protests.
- The rulings cited violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from performing police functions in civil matters without an insurrection, a condition judges found absent.
- Judges found no rebellion in Los Angeles, concluding civilian law enforcement was capable and protests manageable, thus deeming the military deployment for domestic law enforcement illegal.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom successfully sued the Trump administration over the illegal federalization of state militia members in Los Angeles, with the administration expected to appeal.
- The District of Columbia also filed lawsuits against President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops, while Trump considered similar interventions in Chicago, opposed by Governor Pritzker.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the legal challenges and strong opposition to President Trump's deployment of the National Guard. They highlight judicial rulings and local officials' criticisms, portraying the actions as federal overreach and an illegal use of military force for domestic law enforcement, often undermining the administration's justifications.
"The lawsuit comes as President Trump has declared the use of national guard troops in DC a success, and voiced an interest in expanding his use of military assets to tackle crime in some of the nation's largest cities, including Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans."
CBS News"The city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, said the surge of troops essentially amounts to an “involuntary military occupation.”"
Associated Press"Even as Chicago’s crimes rates are down across the board this year, dozens of people were shot and at least seven people were killed in the city in a surge of violence over the Labor Day weekend."
Military Times"the judge ruling here that the president's deployment in L.A., this was in June against the immigration crackdown, violated federal law with much to wonder about the way forward"
Bloomberg"The judge insisted Tuesday that the law Trump invoked in California is not an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, though."
Chicago Sun-Times"The ruling hands a win to California Gov. Gavin Newsom who had sued the administration over the deployment."
Semafor"A federal judge in California has ruled that President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles this summer was illegal."
BBC News"Breyer’s scathing ruling accused the Trump administration of “willfully” violating the law, saying it used troops for functions that were barred by their own training materials, refused to “meaningfully coordinate with state and local officials” and “coached” federal law enforcement agencies on the language to use when requesting assistance."
Military Times"The judge called that conduct a "serious violation" of federal law prohibiting the use of the military for domestic law enforcement."
CBS News"A California federal judge has ruled for the second time that President Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles violated the law, stating it performed law enforcement duties that are prohibited for the military."
NPR"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, though critics have branded the deployments as an overreach."
NBC News"The ruling is clear: Trump is breaking the law by trying to create a national police force with himself as its chief."
USA TODAY"The judge’s decision comes as Trump has discussed National Guard deployments in Democratic-led cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New York."
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FAQ
The Posse Comitatus Act is a federal law passed in 1878 that generally prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement activities unless explicitly authorized by the Constitution or Congress. It aims to prevent the military from performing civilian police functions to maintain the separation between military and civilian authority.
Judge Breyer ruled that the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act because federal troops were used for police functions such as arrests, crowd control, and traffic blockades despite there being no rebellion or inability of civilian law enforcement to handle the situation, which is prohibited by the Act.
Governor Gavin Newsom successfully sued the Trump administration over the illegal federalization of California's National Guard members, leading to a court ruling that deemed the deployment unlawful under the Posse Comitatus Act.
Yes, the District of Columbia also filed lawsuits against President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops, and there was opposition from Illinois Governor Pritzker when Trump contemplated similar deployments in Chicago.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the court rulings that found the National Guard deployments in Los Angeles unlawful under the Posse Comitatus Act.
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