A lawyer for California told a federal judge on Tuesday (12 August) that the Trump administration’s use of National Guard troops in Los Angeles during immigration enforcement operations was illegal, violating the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA), which restricts military involvement in civilian policing.

“The government wanted a show of military force so great that any opposition to their agenda was silenced," said the lawyer, Meghan Strong of the California Attorney General's Office.

The Department of Justice countered that the military presence was necessary due to substantial violence and that troops were only there to protect federal personnel and property, exceptions allowed under the PCA.

The case stems from President Donald Trump’s June order deploying 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid protests and unrest triggered by immigration raids.

California Governor Gavin Newsom opposed the deployment and filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the military’s role in civilian law enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer will decide whether the deployment violated the PCA and will also determine if Governor Newsom has the legal standing to bring the case.

While many troops have since been withdrawn, about 300 National Guard members remain involved in immigration raids in California. The trial’s outcome is unlikely to affect Trump’s plans to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.

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