The city of Washington, D.C., has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the U.S. military, accusing the administration of illegally deploying National Guard troops in the nation’s capital in violation of federal law and the city’s right to self-govern.
The lawsuit, submitted by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, follows a recent ruling by a federal judge in California who determined that the Trump administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act — a longstanding statute that prohibits the use of military forces in civilian law enforcement.
D.C. Officials Call Deployment “Dangerous and Harmful”
In a statement announcing the legal action, Attorney General Schwalb, a Democrat, condemned the decision to send National Guard units into the city during a time of civil unrest.
“Deploying the National Guard for law enforcement purposes was unnecessary and unwanted,” Schwalb said. “It was dangerous and harmful to our residents.”
He further warned of broader implications: “No American city should have the U.S. military — particularly out-of-state military who are not accountable to the residents and untrained in local law enforcement — policing its streets. It’s D.C. today, but could be any other city tomorrow.”
The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s actions inflicted “irreparable harm” by violating the city’s autonomy, damaging community trust, and negatively impacting local commerce and tourism.
Federal Overreach and Local Resistance
At the core of the legal challenge is the Posse Comitatus Act, a post-Civil War law that explicitly limits the federal government’s ability to use the armed forces for domestic policing.
The federal judge’s ruling earlier this week established legal precedent by confirming that the Trump administration’s actions ran afoul of that law.
The D.C. lawsuit seeks to build upon that decision by asserting that the unauthorized deployment set a dangerous example of executive overreach and undermined the principle of civilian control.
Schwalb’s filing also emphasizes the unique vulnerability of Washington, D.C., a city that lacks full statehood and is therefore more susceptible to unilateral federal action.
“This isn’t just about one incident,” said a legal adviser from Schwalb’s office. “It’s about preventing a repeat of what we saw — the military used as a political tool in a civilian setting.”
