Federal Judge Halts Donald Trump’s National Guard Plan – What This Means for America

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from sending the National Guard to California to fight crime. The order came from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, based in San Francisco, for the Northern District of California. The ruling is temporarily on hold until September 12.

In June, President Trump ordered 4,000 National Guard members and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles after large-scale immigration raids sparked protests in the city, the second-largest in the U.S. The deployment caused tension and drew criticism from Democrats, who said Trump was using the military to suppress opposition to his strict immigration policies.

California Governor Had Filed a Case Against Donald Trump’s Deployment of Military

The case raised important legal questions about presidential power. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit saying the troops broke long-standing rules and a law called the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the use of federal troops for domestic policing. The Trump administration argued that the Constitution allows the president to use troops to protect federal personnel and property, which is an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act.

In June, Judge Breyer initially ruled that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in California was likely illegal and ordered the troops returned to state control. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision a week later.

A three-day trial that ended on August 13 looked at what the military did after being sent to help federal officers and immigration agents. Lawyers for California tried to show that the troops acted like police, setting up security perimeters and detaining two people. They argued the troops were not needed and warned that allowing this could change the military’s role in U.S. society.

Donald Trump Administration Defended Decision to Involve Military 

Lawyers for the Trump administration said the troops only acted to protect federal agents and stayed within legal limits. Judge Breyer expressed concern that military leaders had too much freedom to decide when protection was necessary.

At the time of the trial, several hundred soldiers were still in Los Angeles. They were being used for security during raids on marijuana farms outside the city and to deter protests at a park during immigration operations.

Trump has also sent the National Guard to Washington, D.C., citing crime concerns. Breyer’s ruling is unlikely to affect that situation because the president has more authority to use the National Guard in the capital than in other states.

Also Read: Is Donald Trump Resigning? Prediction Markets Make Damning Revelation After Sudden White House Announcement