Attorney General Tong Joins Coalition United Against Trump's National Guard Deployment to Oregon

Press Releases 10/09/2025 Attorney General Tong Joins Coalition United Against Trump's National Guard Deployment to Oregon (Hartford, CT) - Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in an amicus brief supporting Oregon's court challenge to the Trump administration's latest attempts to illegally use the military for civil law enforcement. Similar to previous illegal deployments of the National Guard, the president has relied on bombastic rhetoric and lies as pretext for taking military servicemembers from their homes to patrol cities that are not experiencing crises but that are located in states that voted against the president. On Saturday, a federal judge issued a restraining order temporarily preventing the administration from deploying the Guard in Oregon. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, said the federal government's arguments are "simply untethered to the facts" and "risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power - to the detriment of this nation." "The deployment of American soldiers against American families on American soil is antithetical to who we are as a country and a democracy. The President's lawless justifications are built on extremist fantasies completely untethered to reality. His actions are endangering lives, causing needless chaos and fear, and undermining the vital function of the National Guards. Donald Trump will not stop at Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, and I stand with state attorneys general and governors from across the country in urging the court to uphold the rule of law," said Attorney General Tong. The amicus brief supports Oregon's arguments that a central principle of the rule of law is that the military is subordinate to civilian authority. The president's unlawful and unconstitutional use of the military has exacerbated safety issues and threatened constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment. Moreover, the president's actions undermine the role of local law enforcement and state sovereignty by sending federalized troops into our communities against the will of local populations. The states also have an interest in ensuring their National Guards are available to perform the essential services they provide the states on an ongoing basis. They provide critical services responding to natural disasters, counter-drug operations, and cybersecurity support, among other daily contributions to public safety. This unlawful federalization pulls volunteer service members away from performing vital services, and states are not in a position to replace them. The amicus brief is co-led by the attorneys general of Washington and Maryland. Others joining include the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also joined the filing. Twitter: @AGWilliamTong Facebook: CT Attorney General Media Contact: Elizabeth Benton [email protected] Consumer Inquiries: 860-808-5318 [email protected] Twitter Facebook Email Print