By Chris Kain
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DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed suit today in federal court in an effort to halt the ongoing National Guard deployment in the District, which he characterized as “not only unnecessary and unwanted” but also “dangerous and harmful.”

The lawsuit against President Donald Trump and other federal officials argues that the presence of nearly 2,300 troops — many of them from other states, and most of them now carrying rifles while on patrol — amounts to an involuntary military occupation that exceeds the president’s authority. It also challenges the contention that they can perform local law enforcement functions upon being deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service.

“No American city should have the US military — particularly out-of-state military who are not accountable to the residents and untrained in local law enforcement — policing its streets,” Schwalb said in a statement. “It’s DC today but could be any other city tomorrow. We’ve filed this action to put an end to this illegal federal overreach.”

In a statement to media, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson argued that the lawsuit is baseless.

“President Trump is well within his lawful authority to deploy the National Guard in Washington D.C. to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement with specific tasks,” she said. “This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt — at the detriment of DC residents and visitors — to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in DC.”

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