Wyden, Merkley Join Amicus Brief Slamming Trump for the Abuse of Deploying Military into American Cities

Wyden, Merkley Join Amicus Brief Slamming Trump for the Abuse of Deploying Military into American Cities

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining 16 senators to file an amicus brief on a lawsuit against Donald Trump for abusing military force, including deploying thousands of troops in Los Angeles without seeking approval from state and local officials.

"Donald Trump is using our military like political pawns to target cities and groups he's labeled as his political enemies," Wyden said. "The military deployment in Los Angeles is just the tip of the iceberg for wannabe dictator Trump. This brief gives voice to Oregonians across the state who are saying loud and clear that Trump's illegal deployment of troops on the streets of cities across America must end immediately."

"Trump's response to protests in California and threats to send troops to Portland are purely authoritarian-outrageous abuses of power designed to raise tensions. These attempts to distract us should alarm all Americans," Merkley said. "The President must never weaponize the military to suppress free speech and peaceful protest. I'll fight to protect Americans' rights and liberties with every tool at my disposal."

Newsom v. Trump, which is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, warns of Trump repeatedly deploying military troops into U.S. cities at the whims of serving his own political agenda.

"Our concern that President Trump will continue to act in bad faith and abuse his power is borne out by his recent deployment of state militias to Washington, D.C. and his stated intent to deploy state militias in other blue cities," the senators wrote in their brief to the Circuit Court.

In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the brief was led by Senators Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and signed by Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai'i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I..

The amicus brief is here.