Attorney General Schwalb Issues Statement on Hearing in Lawsuit Over Illegal Deployment of National Guard in DC

WASHINGTON, DC - Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued the below statement following a hearing on a preliminary injunction in the District of Columbia's lawsuit to stop the federal government's illegal deployment of National Guard troops in the city.

"Today we again made clear: the U.S. military should not be policing American citizens on American soil.

It does not make us safer to have out-of-state military-many of whom are not from here and do not know our communities, who are not accountable to local residents and are untrained in local law enforcement-policing our streets, driving military vehicles, armed with rifles and carrying handcuffs.

The residents and the leaders of the District have not asked for any of this. It is unprecedented federal overreach that violates one of the core principles of American democracy-that it is against the law to use the military for local law enforcement purposes.

I have the utmost respect for the National Guard members, who have volunteered to drop everything at a moment's notice to serve their country. But since their deployment to DC we've seen report after report of the National Guard raking leaves, picking up trash, spreading mulch, helping cats out of trees-in addition to their local law enforcement mandate. This is not a good use of the National Guard's training, their expertise. It is not a good use of federal resources or your tax dollars.

It is time to let the National Guard go home-to go home to their everyday lives, their regular jobs, their families, their children.

When I first filed this lawsuit, I warned that it was DC today but could be your city tomorrow. And we've seen that prediction come true with National Guard troops deployed across the country.

If this is allowed to continue, we risk normalizing the use of military troops for domestic law enforcement, setting a dangerous precedent where the President can disregard states' independence and deploy troops wherever and whenever he wants, with no check on his military power. This is not normal, or legal-and I look forward to continuing our case in court."

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