1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Military troops do not belong on our streets and should never be used to police civilians. Yet in recent months, we have seen an escalation in the use of deploying troops and militarized federal agents into communities across the U.S. by President Trump. These deployments blur the lines between the military and law enforcement – and are setting us on a path straight from the authoritarian playbook. The Trump administration's actions put our neighbors in danger of having their rights violated and service members in legal and ethical jeopardy. The administration is undermining the public's trust in a nonpartisan military, creating political conflict, and draining military resources that should be reserved for genuine emergencies like a humanitarian disaster. We must all push back in this moment – and Congress especially must take action.