A federal court in California ruled on Tuesday that the Trump administration's deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles earlier this summer was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer determined that the use of National Guard members and active-duty Marines in response to protests against immigration enforcement violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a law from 1878 that prohibits military involvement in domestic law enforcement.

In his 52-page ruling, Judge Breyer stated, "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." He concluded that this conduct constituted a serious violation of the law.

The ruling came after a three-day trial initiated by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who filed a lawsuit in June following President Trump's announcement to deploy National Guard troops to manage protests related to immigration enforcement. Breyer's decision prohibits the deployment of any military personnel in California for civilian law enforcement activities, including arrests, searches, and crowd control.

Although most of the troops are no longer in Los Angeles, the judge's order restricts any remaining personnel from engaging in law enforcement until a valid legal exception is established. Breyer has paused the enforcement of his ruling until Friday, allowing the administration time to appeal.

This ruling follows a previous order from Breyer that found Trump had illegally federalized the National Guard, requiring the return of control to Governor Newsom. The implications of this ruling may affect future military deployments in other cities, as Breyer noted the administration's intention to potentially send National Guard troops to additional locations across the country.