U.S. President Donald Trump is facing mounting controversy as the courts intervene in his aggressive deployment of the military citing domestic security issues. There is a vigorous debate between the argument that this is justified for maintaining public order and the criticism that President Trump is abusing his authority under the pretext of public safety.
On the 2nd (local time), Bloomberg News reported that a federal court in Northern California ruled that President Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles (LA) in June was illegal. At that time, President Trump had sent approximately 4,000 National Guard and Marines for 60 days, despite opposition from the governor and the mayor, as protests against immigration enforcement intensified. The court deemed this a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, enacted in 1878, and ruled it an abuse of presidential power. This law prohibits the arbitrary use of the military for law enforcement activities within the United States.
However, there have been instances in the past where U.S. presidents have mobilized the National Guard. During the LA riots triggered by the beating of a Black motorist in 1992, President George H.W. Bush also dispatched the National Guard, and earlier in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent federal troops to quell the situation. However, these actions were limited and done at the request of the governor and the mayor, differing from President Trump's approach.
President Trump has justified military intervention by arguing that "inept Democratic mayors in large cities are allowing crime to flourish." In August, under the pretense of eradicating homelessness and violent crime in Washington, D.C., he dispatched about 2,200 National Guard troops and hinted at similar measures for Democratic-led cities like Chicago and Baltimore. He claimed, "Chicago is the most dangerous city in the world," and ordered Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to establish a National Guard unit dedicated to "public order."
This is also aligned with President Trump's political strategy to restore order in America. Since the presidential campaign, he has characterized Chicago, New York, and LA as "crime dens," promising strong law enforcement measures. Shortly after taking office in 2025, he deployed about 8,500 troops to the border and actively initiated deportation operations, especially setting up military operational zones in border regions to allow soldiers to directly detain immigrants.
In response to President Trump's actions, opposition parties and local governments are fiercely opposing him. California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass have filed lawsuits against President Trump, and Brian Schwab, the Attorney General of Washington, D.C., has also filed a lawsuit against the president for overstepping legal authority in controlling the police department. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated, "Having the military on the streets of cities is un-American, and it seems the president does not understand the Constitution or the law," delivering a strong offensive.
Nevertheless, President Trump shows no sign of backing down on military deployment, indicating that legal conflicts are inevitable. When questioned by reporters if he had decided to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, he responded, "We will go into (Chicago)," asserting, "We have the right to do so because we have an obligation to protect this country."