by Vanguard Staff
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Tuesday he remains confident that the Trump administration violated federal law by deploying California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines in Los Angeles, following the conclusion of a three-day trial in the state’s lawsuit challenging the mobilization.
“Before the trial began, I issued a statement expressing confidence that the evidence would show that the Trump Administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act. Now that the trial has ended, I remain confident. Our legal team did a great job,” Bonta said in the release. “We asked the court to grant a permanent injunction to stop the Administration from using the military for domestic law enforcement and maintaining a standing army in Southern California. We made a compelling case — backed by facts and specifics — and we look forward to getting a decision in the near future.”
The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the military from engaging in civilian law enforcement activities. According to the Attorney General’s office, California showed that the Trump administration’s orders violated all three legal tests under the statute.
The state argued that the administration directly used military personnel to execute the law, including armed perimeter support, blockades, and apprehension and detention of civilians. It also alleged that in the weeks after the June mobilization, federalized troops participated in an estimated three out of every four immigration raids in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. California further argued that the military’s role pervaded civilian law enforcement activities and that National Guard members subjected civilians to proscriptive military power.
Bonta said he remains committed to holding Trump and his administration accountable for exceeding their authority and infringing on Californians’ constitutional rights. In addition to this case, he led a multi-state coalition in filing an amicus brief supporting a court order blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from conducting unlawful stops of Los Angeles residents during immigration sweeps.
