WASHINGTON — Washington officials have sued President Donald Trump over his deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the nation’s capital, escalating local opposition to the administration’s moves to exert more control over the city’s day-to-day affairs.
The city contends that the mobilization of more than 2,200 troops since mid-August violates U.S. laws meant to bar the military from carrying out domestic law enforcement activities — a dynamic that D.C. officials described as an involuntary “occupation.” The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday, also alleges Trump illegally called in National Guard units from other states.
It’s the second lawsuit D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed challenging Trump’s push to federalize policing in the city. It comes on the h