A federal judge has ruled that Trump’s deployment of military forces to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a law that prohibits the use of the armed forces as a domestic police force.

Multiple independent and reputable news sources report that a federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's use of military troops in Los Angeles for law enforcement purposes. The ruling specifically cites violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, a longstanding federal law that prohibits the use of the U.S. Military as a domestic police force except under very limited circumstances such as insurrection.

The judge's decision came after a lawsuit alleging that the deployment was unlawful and violated this act. Sources including ABC News, Reuters, CNN, The New York Times, and others consistently confirm that the judge found the military deployment illegal under federal law. While some earlier reports indicated the judge was still considering or hearing arguments, all sources dated September 2, 2025, confirm a ruling was issued declaring the deployment unlawful.

This consensus across multiple high-quality sources supports a high-confidence conclusion that the claim is accurate.