Federal Judge Rules Trump National Guard Deployment Violates Posse Comitatus Act

President Trump has deployed National Guard troops to various U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Memphis, often over the objections of state governors, raising significant legal questions about the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement. Legal experts and court rulings emphasize that the Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian policing, permitting exceptions only under specific circumstances like insurrections governed by the Insurrection Act. A recent federal judge ruling found that the deployment of troops in Los Angeles violated these limits, as the situation did not meet the threshold of rebellion and traditional police response remained viable. The administration's rhetoric has focused on ordinary street crime, such as carjackings, which federal law does not authorize military intervention to address without state consent. Litigation continues to assess whether these deployments were lawful and to what extent the president can federalize National Guard troops without governor approval. Meanwhile, these events have sparked broader concerns about the impact of federal policies on civil liberties and the role of government in domestic affairs.