Trump’s LA Troop Deployment Violated Federal Law, Judge Says

Trump is Testing America’s Fragile Rule of Law

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By Madlin Mekelburg and Erik Larson

September 2, 2025 at 1:10 PM UTC

Updated on

September 2, 2025 at 10:36 PM UTC

President Donald Trump violated federal law by deploying National Guard troops and US Marines to carry out local law enforcement in Los Angeles over the summer as protests raged against his immigration crackdown, a judge ruled.

The decision Tuesday in San Francisco blocks the Trump administration from using federal troops for law enforcement activities anywhere in California. The ruling comes as Trump continues to say he will use the military in other major American cities where he claims crime is out of control.