BBC News has reported that Federal Judge Charles Breyer issued a landmark ruling declaring former President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles unlawful, citing a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. The decision, handed down just hours ago, has triggered a political earthquake, as the court confirmed that an arrest warrant for Trump could be held until September 12 — giving prosecutors a narrow window to determine whether to move forward.
The Posse Comitatus Act, a rarely invoked 19th-century law, explicitly limits the use of federal military forces in domestic law enforcement. Judge Breyer ruled that Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops into Los Angeles during a wave of protests crossed that line, amounting to an abuse of presidential power. “No individual, not even a president, can place military boots on American soil to suppress civilian dissent without lawful authority,” Breyer wrote in his blistering opinion.
For legal scholars, the ruling marks a critical precedent. The Act has long been considered a guardrail against authoritarian overreach, but few presidents have tested its boundaries as aggressively as Trump. By declaring his actions illegal, the court has not only reopened debate about presidential powers but also pushed the former president closer to a historic criminal confrontation.
The arrest warrant, however, remains in limbo. Judge Breyer authorized that it may be held until September 12, a move interpreted as both cautious and strategic. Prosecutors now have less than two weeks to weigh their options: proceed with immediate enforcement, or delay to avoid further political chaos.
Trump’s allies immediately slammed the decision as a political hit job. “This is a disgraceful abuse of the justice system,” one senior Trump adviser said. “Judge Breyer is weaponizing an outdated law to target the president who stood up to lawlessness in our streets.”
But critics argue the opposite — that Trump’s actions were a direct assault on democracy. California leaders, many of whom opposed the deployment at the time, expressed vindication. Governor Gavin Newsom released a terse statement: “The courts have confirmed what we all knew — Donald Trump trampled on the Constitution to cling to power. Accountability is overdue.”
The news has already set off a firestorm on social media. Hashtags such as #TrumpWarrant and #PosseComitatus are trending, with users fiercely divided. Supporters of Trump view the ruling as evidence of judicial overreach, while opponents see it as long-awaited justice. The looming September 12 deadline has only added to the drama, creating a countdown that the entire country is now watching.
Global reactions have been just as intense. European media outlets described the ruling as “unprecedented in modern U.S. history,” while rivals like Russia and China wasted no time highlighting it as proof of American instability. Once again, Trump’s legal troubles are being broadcast across the world stage, reinforcing his status as one of the most polarizing figures in modern history.
For Trump himself, the path forward is perilous. He faces the possibility of arrest, further legal entanglements, and the humiliation of being formally charged with violating a law designed to keep the military out of civilian life. Whether prosecutors act before September 12 could determine not only Trump’s political future, but also the precedent for how far any president can go in wielding military force at home.
For now, America waits. The countdown has begun.
