1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my concern about President Trump's ongoing attempts to use the military domestically for civilian law enforcement and the danger these deployments pose for service members, civilians, and our democracy. This country has a strong and important tradition of separation between the military and civilian policing, but in recent months, we have seen troops sent hundreds of miles from their homes to support manufactured crises – blurring the lines between the military and law enforcement. We’ll be clear: Using troops for law enforcement creates legal and ethical jeopardy for troops, risks violations of our fundamental rights, and erodes public trust in a nonpartisan military. The Trump administration is trying to manufacture emergencies while distracting us from what actually keeps our communities safe: investment in housing, education, mental health care, jobs, and accountable policing. The people who serve our country in the military deserve better than to be deployed on a whim or a pretext, or to be treated like a prop for the president’s latest play to distract the public. To help protect our communities and uphold constitutional limits on executive power, Congress must act, which is why I am urging you to co-sponsor the Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act. This bill will draw a necessary brighter line between the military and civilian law enforcement, enhance oversight of operations that deploy the military domestically, and require federal forces to identify themselves when they are on our streets.