Mayor Bowser Questions Legality of National Guard Deployment
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed reservations about the legality of deploying the National Guard in cities nationwide, particularly in light of President Trump’s initiative to use military forces to address crime.
During her speech at the Fortune Most Powerful Women conference in the nation’s capital, she was inquired about her opposition to the National Guard’s involvement in crime control. “I don’t think it’s illegal for the National Guard to police Americans on American soil,” Bowser remarked.
She elaborated that while a state’s National Guard usually reports to its governor, the D.C. National Guard is directly under presidential control. “When it comes to the National Guard’s mission and how it is used, D.C. is a bit different,” she noted, explaining that city officials typically rely on security personnel for emergencies and large events rather than military forces to enforce local laws.
The mayor’s comments come as President Trump has been ramping up federal law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C., aiming to curb crime. Recently, there has been a significant deployment of federal agents and National Guard troops in the city as part of the federal government’s initiative.
Trump’s approach has also led to troop deployments in other Democratic-led cities like Chicago, where local officials have taken legal action against the federal government regarding this military presence. Interestingly, a federal appeals court has reordered some control of the Illinois National Guard back to the state but has blocked Trump’s deployment of troops there.
Furthermore, earlier this summer, the National Guard was sent to Los Angeles in response to protests against ICE due to immigration enforcement actions targeting local businesses. California officials have similarly filed lawsuits over this federal deployment.
Bowser, in her comments, raised concerns about the implications of military use on democracy. “Using military presence for crowd control can be a slippery slope,” she warned. “One day it’s about managing a crowd, and the next, well, it can lead to broader implications that threaten the core of American democracy.”
