A federal judge in California on Tuesday has ruled that the Trump administraion’s decision to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June violated a 19th-century law barring the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement activities when it mobilized . In a 52-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer found that the president and his administration breached the Posse Comitatus Act, a statute dating back to the 19th century that prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. At the time the troops were dispatched, Trump argued they were needed to safeguard federal buildings and agents during demonstrations sparked by immigration enforcement actions. There were indeed protests in Los Angeles, and some individuals engaged in violence. The courts agree — his militarization of our streets and use of the military against U.S. citizens is ILLEGAL.”Editorial credit: Matt Gush / Shutterstock.com