D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced Thursday that he is suing the Trump administration to halt the deployment of National Guard troops in the District.
His lawsuit comes amid reports that the deployment of about 950 D.C. National Guard troops has been extended to December.
Mr. Schwalb said on social media that the deployment of 2,300 National Guard personnel violates the 1973 Home Rule Act, which allows the District to govern itself, and the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which bars the use of the military for civilian law enforcement.
“National Guardsmen have been deputized by the US Marshals to perform law enforcement functions in DC. That includes the authority to execute warrants, detain people, and make arrests. Some Guardsmen were ordered to carry firearms and conduct armed patrols in residential areas,” Mr. Schwalb posted on X.
President Trump declared an emergency over crime in the District on Aug. 11 and deployed the National Guard shortly thereafter, citing a 2024 murder rate of more than 27 people per 100,000 residents and a vehicle theft rate of over 842 thefts per 100,000 residents.
“D.C. has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, D.C. is back under Federal Control where it belongs. The White House is in charge. The Military and our Great Police will liberate this City, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more!” Mr. Trump posted Aug. 13 on Truth Social.
SEE ALSO: Trump appeals court ruling against his troop deployment in Los Angeles
The National Guard presence in the District includes the city’s own troops under the direct command of the president and those from states including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The administration’s use of National Guard troops in other cities has already run into legal roadblocks. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in California ruled Tuesday that Mr. Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles in June was a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.
