Washington, D.C. sues Trump administration for deployment of National Guard

Washington, D.C. has sued the Trump administration for prosecutions with the deployment of the National Guard in the national capital.

The lawsuit accused President Donald Trump of sending troops to Washington, D.C. without the consent of local leaders, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who said deploying troops is undermining the city’s autonomy and damaging the local economy.

Trump has deployed hundreds of troops in recent weeks, some of which have armed their forces to “clean up” the area, which is not part of any state in the United States. He threatened to send troops to other Democratic strongholds, such as Chicago and New Orleans.

“Deploying the National Guard in law enforcement is not only unnecessary and unnecessary, but also dangerous and harmful to the area and its residents,” Schwalb said in a statement. “Today is the District of Columbia, but tomorrow may be any other city. We have filed this lawsuit to end this illegal federal overreach.”

The president, who has not commented on the lawsuit, began deploying troops on the streets of the U.S. capital on August 11 as part of his crackdown on crime and homelessness.

Federal law enforcement officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers (ICEs), are also patrolling city streets, operating checkpoints and detaining suspicious illegal immigrants.

A federal judge in California ruled that it was illegal for Trump to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles this summer because it violated the POSSE COMITATUS Act, which restricted the federal government from using military force for domestic affairs.

The White House said Trump is trying to “protect American cities from violence and destruction” and that the judge is “trying to usurp the authority of the commander-in-chief.”

Additionally, the White House touted its efforts in Washington, D.C., saying hundreds of people have been arrested since the operation began, and the crime rate has dropped due to the president’s actions.

Violent crime peaked in 2023 and reached its lowest level in 30 years in 2024, according to crime data published by the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. (MPDC).

They are continuing to decline, according to preliminary data for 2025.

According to MPDC, violent crimes overall fell 26% this year, and robberies fell 28%.

The city’s mayor Muriel Bowser said the National Guard deployment was expensive and unnecessary.