I write to respectfully urge members of Congress to object publicly, loudly, and forcefully to President Donald Trump’s escalating use of military force in American cities.
Against the objections of state leaders, President Trump deployed ~700 Marines and ~4,000 National Guard to Los Angeles in June; the Marines were later withdrawn in July.
In Washington, D.C., Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, placing the Metropolitan Police Department under the Attorney General’s direction and initially deploying ~800 National Guard troops, later expanded to over 2,000. Multiple federal agencies—including FBI, ICE, and ATF—have been active on city streets, and hundreds of arrests have been reported, even as violent crime hit a 30-year low in 2024.
On August 25, Trump issued a new directive expanding the Guard’s domestic role and calling for a 600-member ‘Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force’ split between Alabama and Arizona, and instructing state Guards to be ready for rapid deployment to quell unrest.
Trump has signaled he will extend this model to other Democratic-run metros—naming Chicago as likely next and also referencing New York—while publicly tangling with leaders in Baltimore, and drawing threats of resistance from Oakland and San Francisco.
He has also said he’s working with congressional Republicans on a ‘comprehensive crime bill’ and wants the death penalty sought in all D.C. murder cases—moves widely viewed as further centralizing federal control over local criminal justice.
Collectively, these actions raise urgent constitutional and civil-liberties concerns—federalism, the Posse Comitatus Act, D.C. home rule/statehood, and local control of policing—as detailed by leading legal analysts.
Members of Congress must make their objections to these actions clear, and ensure all Americans understand the risks to our freedoms. Please speak up loudly for democratic governance and the rule of law.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sign Petition
