The city of Washington has taken legal action against President Donald Trump and the United States military, challenging the controversial deployment of National Guard troops in the capital city.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Brian Schwalb, accused Trump of violating democratic norms and federal law by using military personnel for domestic law enforcement.
According to NBC News, the suit alleged that Trump “has run roughshod over a fundamental tenet of American democracy, that the military should not be involved in domestic law enforcement.”
Schwalb, in a strongly worded statement, condemned the deployment as both “unnecessary and unwanted,” warning that it posed risks to residents and set a dangerous precedent.
“No American city should have the US military, particularly out-of-state military who are not accountable to the residents and untrained in local law enforcement , policing its streets,” Schwalb said. “It’s DC today, but could be any other city tomorrow. We’ve filed this action to put an end to this illegal federal overreach.”
The lawsuit came in the wake of a ruling by the US District Judge Charles Breyer in California, who earlier this week found that the Trump administration had violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a law barring the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement. Breyer specifically blocked the administration from deploying troops in California after court documents revealed that 4,000 National Guard members and 700 active-duty U.S. Marines had been sent to Los Angeles in June to assist with immigration and drug raids.
Despite mounting legal setbacks, the Trump administration signalled plans to keep troops stationed in Washington. CNN reported on Wednesday that a senior official confirmed National Guard deployments in the capital would continue through December as part of Trump’s anti-crime initiative.
The White House defended the move, with one official telling CNN, “President Trump is committed to the long-term safety and security of Washington, DC for its residents and visitors.”
