Press Release  AG Campbell Urges Supreme Court Of The United States To Prevent Trump’s Unlawful Deployment Of National Guard To Chicago

Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in filing an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of Illinois and the City of Chicago against President Trump’s unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic deployment of the National Guard. The brief urges the Court to deny the President’s request for a stay of a lower court order that blocked the deployment.  

“The President’s unlawful attempt to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, or any other American city, threatens state sovereignty and is designed solely to instill fear and provoke disorder in our communities,” said AG Campbell. “Using military resources against American citizens undermines local law enforcement, harms residents, and violates our Constitution. This unlawful deployment cannot be allowed to stand if we wish to maintain a functioning, healthy democracy.”       

AG Campbell and the coalition argue that the President’s actions break the law and threaten one of America’s most important principles – that the military must remain under civilian control – while also threatening state sovereignty and core constitutional principles of federalism. AG Campbell and the coalition’s brief makes clear that this violates the Constitution and federal law.   

Earlier this month, AG Campbell joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in filing a similar amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in support of Illinois against President Trump’s unlawful deployment of the National Guard without approval from the state’s governor. The Court allowed the President to proceed with placing National Guard troops under federal control but refused to let him proceed with deploying those troops while the case is on appeal. 

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

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