The attorney general of Washington, DC has filed a legal challenge to US President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to the country’s capital.
In a post on X on Thursday, Brian Schwalb said the deployment is illegal without the consent of local authorities. He said it also violates a federal law that prevents the military from “engaging in domestic policing”.
“The harms to the district are immense,” Schwalb continued. “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,” he said.
NEW: We are suing to block the unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to DC.
Armed soldiers should not be policing American citizens on American soil.
The forced military occupation of the District of Columbia violates our local autonomy and basic freedoms. It must end.
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) September 4, 2025
The Trump administration has given no clear timeline on when the deployment, which began in mid-August, will end.
He has framed sending in the about 2,300 National Guard troops and an additional 1871 federal law enforcement, as part of a wider effort to crack down on crime and to help beautify public spaces.
In declaring a “crime emergency” in August, the Trump administration also took control of local police in Washington, DC, which is a federal district but maintains some self-governance via the Home Rule Act of 1973.
In his legal challenge, Schwalb said the deployment violates the Home Rule Act. He also said that National Guard troops had been “deputised by the US Marshals to perform law enforcement functions in DC” in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
Schwalb had previously sued the Trump administration after Attorney General Pam Bondi sought to replace the Metropolitan Police Department’s chief with the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The administration later moved away from the move.
Local officials have criticised the increased federal control, arguing that more funding from Congress would better help to address crime in the city.
The Trump administration’s actions have also boosted support for a decades long campaign for Washington, DC to become its own state. Residents have held nightly protests against Trump’s policy, which was introduced despite federal data showing crime has actually been on the decline in the city.
Meanwhile, Trump has increasingly suggested deploying the National Guard to other Democratic-run cities, including Chicago and New Orleans, despite opposition from local leaders.
Earlier this week, Trump appeared to double down on plans to send the National Guard to Chicago, telling reporters “we’re going in”. However, Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said there were no imminent plans for the deployment.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled it was illegal for Trump to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, California in June.
Trump had sent in the troops – despite opposition from California’s governor – amid protests over immigration raids amid Trump’s deportation drive.
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