By Dietrich Knauth

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Thursday blocked a lower court ruling that restricted President Donald Trump’s use of troops to support federal law enforcement and immigration raids in Los Angeles, preserving the status quo while the Trump administration appeals. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer ruled on Tuesday that the Trump administration willfully violated a 19th century law that limits the use of the military for domestic enforcement, by employing troops to control crowds and bolster federal agents during immigration and drug raids in Los Angeles and its surrounding area. Breyer restricted troops from doing police work in California.

The administration quickly appealed the ruling.

(Reporting by Dietrich Knauth; editing by Diane Craft)

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