City alleges violation of Home Rule Act, while White House defends ‘successful operations’ to combat crime.
The city of Washington, D.C. has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration, challenging the deployment of the National Guard to the city’s streets to combat crime. The lawsuit, filed by Democratic Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, alleges that the administration’s actions violated the Home Rule Act by deploying troops without the consent of Congress or D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The lawsuit claims the administration “disregarded” Congress’s role in overseeing the district and the will of D.C. residents, who plaintiffs say never requested the action.
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“The residents and leaders of the District of Columbia have not requested any of this,” the lawsuit states. It further argues that the President’s actions have “run roughshod over a fundamental tenet of American democracy—that the military should not be involved in domestic law enforcement.”
According to the lawsuit, the “unprecedented, unlawful actions” of the administration have caused “irreparable harm” to the district, despite significant reductions in crime.
The plaintiffs argue that the deployment “infringes on its sovereignty and right to self-governance” and risks “inflaming tensions and fueling distrust toward local law enforcement.” They also claim the actions have inflicted “economic injuries, depressing business activities and tourism.”
In response, the White House has defended the President’s actions, calling the lawsuit an attempt to “undermine” his “highly successful operations” to fight violent crime.
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White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated, “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. This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt… to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in DC.”
President Trump deployed the National Guard and federalized the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to “reestablish law and order and safety” following a series of violent crimes, including shootings that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members and a congressional intern.
The lawsuit comes despite a notable decline in crime since the deployment. According to the Washington, D.C., Police Union, robberies have dropped by 42% and carjackings by 85% since the crackdown began. Law enforcement has also made 1,841 arrests and seized 188 illegal firearms.
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