South Carolina National Guard Deployment Challenge
South Carolina Public Interest Foundation v. McMaster
A pro-democracy lawsuit challenging the South Carolina governor’s Title 32 deployment of state National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
Background
The South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and a South Carolina resident filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the governor’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. at the request of President Donald Trump. Plaintiffs argue state law does not allow the governor to “support federal law enforcement activities” outside of the state under Title 32, and the lawsuit seeks to block the ongoing deployment.
Why It Matters
Trump’s weaponization of Title 32 to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities is yet another deeply troubling and anti-democratic attempt to extend federal power and authority. Nine Republican governors have sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. under the Trump administration’s pretext of “address[ing] the epidemic of crime in our Nation’s capital,” despite historic lows in violent crime. A lawsuit filed by D.C. challenging Trump’s deployment of D.C. and out-of-state National Guard troops within the District is ongoing.
Latest Updates
- Jan. 7, 2026: Plaintiffs filed their complaint.