San Francisco Trial Tests Trump National Guard Deployment Legality

A landmark bench trial is set to begin in San Francisco to determine whether the Trump administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 by deploying federalized California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles during immigration protests. The case, brought by California Governor Gavin Newsom, alleges that President Trump's federalization and deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to assist immigration enforcement and quell protests was illegal and exceeded federal authority, violating the Tenth Amendment. While Judge Charles Breyer initially blocked the deployment, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, allowing federal control of the troops to continue, but did not rule on the Posse Comitatus Act violation. The trial will also investigate the role of Marines in crowd control alongside immigration agents. This case represents a constitutional clash between the state and the sitting president and could set a precedent regarding the federal use of military forces for domestic law enforcement. As of now, about 250 National Guard troops remain deployed in California amid ongoing legal proceedings.