Press Release  AG Campbell Supports Multistate Challenge Against Trump’s National Guard Deployment To Oregon

Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in submitting an amicus brief in support of Oregon’s challenge to the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to illegally use the military for civil law enforcement. As with previous illegal deployments of the National Guard, the President has relied on bombast and lies as pretext for deploying military servicemembers from their homes to cities that are not experiencing crises but that are located in states that voted against the President. 

“The Trump Administration’s portrayal of Portland as ‘war ravaged’ and ‘under attack’ is inaccurate and inflammatory,” said AG Campbell. “By sending in the National Guard, the President is provoking disorder where it otherwise does not exist. These actions attempt to instill fear in our communities and silence dissent. I stand firmly with Oregon in resisting this egregious abuse of power.” 

On Saturday, a federal judge issued a restraining order temporarily preventing the Administration from deploying the Guard in Oregon. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, said the federal government’s arguments are “simply untethered to the facts” and “risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power – to the detriment of this nation.” 

The amicus brief supports Oregon’s arguments that a central principle of the rule of law is that the military is subordinate to civilian authority. The President’s unlawful and unconstitutional use of the military has stoked unnecessary fear and threatened constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment. Moreover, the President’s actions undermine the role of local law enforcement and state sovereignty by sending federalized troops into communities against the will of local leaders. 

The states also have an interest in ensuring their National Guards are available to perform their regular essential duties like responding to natural disasters, counter-drug operations, cybersecurity support, and other daily contributions to public safety. This unlawful federalization pulls service members away from performing vital services, and states are not in a position to replace them. 

AG Campbell and other state attorneys general are continuing to prepare to defend their states should the Administration attempt any more illegal deployments. AG Campbell is also supporting litigation efforts challenging the unlawful National Guard deployments in the District of Columbia and California.  

Joining AG Campbell in filing this amicus brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania also joined the filing. 

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