Sept. 5—A federal judge ruled Sept. 2 that the Trump administration “willfully violated” a law that prohibits the military from carrying out domestic law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer issued a ruling stating that federal officials violated the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act and “expressly instructed” troops that they “could engage in certain law enforcement activities: setting up protective perimeters, traffic blockades, crowd control, and the like.” The judge wrote, “That instruction was incorrect.”

This ruling does not require the removal of the 300 National Guard troops which remain in Los Angeles, nor does it apply to any deployment of National Guard units in other states. The ruling will not take effect until Sept. 12, as the judge wanted to give the administration 10 days to file an appeal. These troops began to arrive on June 8 in Los Angeles.

The judge was dismissive of the Trump administration’s rationale for the need of troops in Los Angeles, writing that they were deployed “ostensibly to quell a rebellion and ensure that federal immigration law was enforced.” The judge wrote, “There were indeed protests in Los Angeles, and some individuals engaged in violence. Yet there was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests and enforce the law.” The judge was also critical of White House statements suggesting the deployment of National Guard troops to other cities, warning against “creating a national police force with the President as its chief.”

The judge ruled that National Guard troops could “protect federal property in a manner consistent with the Posse Comitatus Act,” but would not be allowed “to execute the laws,” blocking actions such as carrying out arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols and traffic control.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly issued a statement insisting: “President Trump saved Los Angeles, which was overrun by deranged leftist lunatics sowing mass chaos until he stepped in.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) issued a statement that President Trump had “trampled on one of the very basic foundations of our democracy: That our military be apolitical and the activities of troops on U.S. soil be extremely limited to ensure civil liberties and protect against military overreach.”