1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As an actively engaged constituent and as a longtime ACLU member, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to call on the Trump administration to withdraw military troops from our communities and rescind the deployment order. Following dangerous ICE raids across Los Angeles where federal agencies arrested and abducted many of our loved ones and neighbors, Angelenos responded by taking to the streets and exercising their First Amendment right to protest. During those demonstrations, LAPD and federal law enforcement agencies aggressively arrested members of the press, protestors, organizers and others – including the leader of California's largest union, David Huerta. Now, President Trump has deployed thousands of federalized National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles – and is threatening more troops in our communities. This dangerous abuse of power is a direct threat to our basic constitutional rights: lawful protest, free expression, and speaking out against injustice. The military does not belong in our communities policing civilians. And make no mistake: President Trump's order isn't restricted to the protests in Los Angeles. President Trump is attempting to write himself a blank check to use the military to stifle dissent and scare us into silence in other parts of the country, too. I look forward to hearing back from you as to everything you’re doing to stop these dangerous threats to our communities and to democracy itself.