From ABC News: Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb filed a lawsuit on Thursday to end the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to the city, calling it an unlawful “military occupation.”
Nearly 2,300 troops from seven states have been stationed in the district since Aug. 11, a move Schwalb says goes beyond the president’s authority and violates local autonomy under the Home Rule Act.
The lawsuit argues the troops were placed under Defense Department command and later deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service to perform law enforcement, which Schwalb’s office says is “in violation of the foundational prohibition on military involvement in local law.”
By law, the president’s emergency deployment can last only 30 days unless extended by Congress, meaning the surge is set to expire Sept. 10.
“Over 2,200 National Guard troops from seven states and the District of Columbia are currently patrolling the streets of the District dressed in military fatigues, carrying rifles, and driving armored vehicles,” the complaint begins, giving no credit to the fact that crime has plummeted in D.C. since the deployment began.
“The residents and leaders of the District of Columbia have not requested any of
this,” Schwalb claims.
In the 52-page lawsuit, Schwalb claims that the National Guard deployments “threaten to erode trust between residents and police, inflame tensions and damage the city’s economy — particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industries.”
“These unprecedented, unlawful actions have subjected the District to serious and irreparable harm. The deployment of National Guard troops to police District streets without the District’s consent infringes on its sovereignty and right to self-governance. 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 alleges.
The attorney general of Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit Thursday to end the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to the city, calling it an unlawful “military occupation.” https://t.co/kaJsai2fnE
— ABC News (@ABC) September 4, 2025
READ MORE from ABC News.
This comes after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently admitted, “Having more federal law enforcement officers on the street [has worked]. We think having more stops that got to illegal guns has helped. We have had fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, and we have experienced an extreme reduction in carjackings.”
President Trump then commended Bowser for her cooperation with his administration in getting crime under control.
Trump commends D.C. mayor for cooperation, but includes a warning…
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