D.C. Sues Trump to Block Massive Troop Deployment

The District of Columbia sued President Donald Trump Thursday to end his deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the nation’s capital. 

The lawsuit alleges the president and his allies violated the Constitution and federal law and the district’s  sovereignty by using over 2,200 National Guard troops from several different states to conduct law enforcement activities in the district.

“The deployment also risks inflaming tensions and fueling distrust toward local law enforcement. And it inflicts economic injuries, depressing business activities and tourism that form the backbone of the local economy and tax base,” the lawsuit reads. “No American jurisdiction should be involuntarily subjected to military occupation.”

“The residents and leaders of the District of Columbia have not requested any of this,” it continues.

The district’s suit, filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, alleges that the Department of Defense has ordered the troops, many of whom are armed, to conduct “core” law enforcement duties, including “presence patrols” and “community patrols.”

The lawsuit also claims that the Department of Justice has deputized many of the troops to conduct searches, seizures and arrests. 

Such orders violate the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which bars soldiers from engaging in civilian law enforcement operations unless they are authorized to do so by Congress, the lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit comes just days after a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administration violated Posse Comitatus through its use of the military in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Trump has cited out-of-control crime to justify his takeover. But as Democracy Docket has reported, many of the states that sent troops to help occupy D.C. have cities with higher crime rates than the district’s.

This story has been updated with additional details throughout.