The District of Columbia filed a court lawsuit on Thursday, September 4, 2025, to prohibit the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops to the city. Brian L. Schwalb, the Attorney General, said the operation is against the law and is like “involuntary military occupation.” He asks the court to put an end to what he labels “militarized policing” in the capital.
The complaint argues that since mid-August, the Defense Department has moved more than 2,000 Guard soldiers from seven states to Washington, where they are monitoring locations. Schwalb says that the influx has made matters worse, destroyed people’s trust, and slowed down business. He adds that these are problems that the court should look about while deciding whether to give immediate help.
The lawsuit says that the deployment breaks the Home Rule Act, which gives D.C. the power to police its own neighborhoods, and federal laws that prohibit the use of the military for domestic law enforcement, such as the Posse Comitatus Act and other laws. The lawsuit also says that putting out-of-state Guard units on local streets without the District’s permission goes beyond what the president can do.
Schwalb said the action was about protecting local government and public safety. He remarked, “No American city should have the U.S. military patrolling its streets.” He also claimed that what is happening in Washington “today could happen in any other city tomorrow.”
The lawsuit comes after President Donald Trump’s order on August 11 to send more Guard troops to D.C. The White House said the troops would stay deployed “until law and order is restored.” The document also said that governors should work together to bring in more Guard units when needed.
On Thursday, the administration defended what it did by stating that the president has the power to activate the Guard to protect federal property and help police. A White House spokesman stated, “This lawsuit is just another attempt to hurt the President’s very successful efforts to stop violent crime in D.C.”
The action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It asks for an injunction to halt the Guard from doing police work in the city and for a declaration that the deployment is against the Constitution and federal law. There is still no schedule for the court.
Background: The White House has linked the deployment to crime reduction targets and has hinted that it could apply the same concept in other places. The attorney general and other local officials contend that the city never agreed to have troops from other states monitor its streets. They also say that public safety improvements should be made legally and under local control.
Read lawsuit here.
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