WASHINGTON — 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 President Donald Trump’s administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents on immigration raids. The judge in Washington did not require the remaining troops withdrawn, however.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. They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them.