Attorney General Sues Over National Guard Deployment in D.C.
Washington, D.C.’s Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, has initiated legal action against the Trump administration regarding the deployment of the National Guard in the special district, labeling it an unconstitutional “involuntary military occupation.”
This lawsuit marks Schwalb’s second attempt to challenge the federal government since President Trump revealed his strategy to address the crime crisis in the capital last month. The argument centers around the claim that the president exceeded his authority by sending nearly 2,300 National Guard troops.
Additionally, Schwalb argues this military presence contradicts the mayor’s desires and infringes upon D.C.’s autonomy as defined by the Home Rule Act, which permits a limited form of self-governance for the District of Columbia.
“Engaging the National Guard in law enforcement is not just unnecessary but also potentially harmful. It’s detrimental to the District and its people,” Schwalb stated.
“No American city should see military forces, especially those from elsewhere who lack local accountability and training, patrolling its streets. Today it’s D.C., but tomorrow it could happen anywhere. This lawsuit seeks to halt such federal overreach,” he added.
On the other hand, the Trump administration defends the deployment as a necessary measure to protect D.C. residents in the face of ongoing violent crime. They stress that the National Guard is primarily there to safeguard federal property and act as a deterrent, rather than to engage directly in law enforcement.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson later claimed the lawsuit is “merely another effort, at the expense of D.C. residents and visitors, to weaken the President’s effective initiatives against violent crime in the area.”
This lawsuit echoes a previous case from California, which asserted that Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard for deployment in Los Angeles this past June was unconstitutional. The Trump administration argued that this measure was intended to protect federal property amidst violent protests against ICE.
Earlier this week, a federal judge, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer, ruled that the federal government’s decision to federalize and deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles breached the Posse Comitatus Act, although an appeal is anticipated by the White House. Breyer was appointed by former President Bill Clinton.
There are indications that the Trump administration plans to extend the temporary National Guard deployment in D.C. through December, according to a report by the Washington Post.
