The attorney general of Washington, DC, Brian Schwalb, has filed a legal challenge to US President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to the country’s capital.
Schwalb asserts that the deployment is illegal without the consent of local authorities and violates a federal law that prevents the military from engaging in domestic policing.
Schwalb emphasized the harms caused by the deployment, stating that “National Guard units are operating without lawful authority and without law enforcement training. They create confusion, sow fear, erode trust, inflame tensions, and harm the crucial relationship between police and communities they serve.”
The Trump administration has not provided a clear timeline for ending the deployment, which began in mid-August.
The deployment consists of approximately 2,300 National Guard troops and 1,871 federal law enforcement personnel, purportedly aimed at cracking down on crime and beautifying public spaces.
However, local officials argue that increased funding from Congress would be more effective in addressing crime in the city.
Schwalb’s legal challenge argues that the deployment violates the Home Rule Act, which grants Washington, DC, some self-governance.
Additionally, the challenge claims that National Guard troops have been “deputised by the US Marshals to perform law enforcement functions in DC” in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
This is not the first time Schwalb has clashed with the Trump administration. Previously, he sued over the administration’s attempt to replace the Metropolitan Police Department’s chief with the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, which was later abandoned.
The Trump administration’s actions have sparked nightly protests in Washington, DC, and fueled support for the district’s long-standing campaign to become its own state. Residents argue that the policy was introduced despite federal data showing crime has been declining in the city.
Trump has suggested deploying the National Guard to other Democratic-run cities, including Chicago and New Orleans, despite local leaders’ opposition.
A federal judge recently ruled that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, California, in June was illegal, amid protests over immigration raids.