Padilla, Schiff Lead 17 Senators in Amicus Brief Fighting Trump Abuse of Military Deployments

Brief filed with circuit court hearing case against Trump's use of military in Los Angeles warns of continued abuse of military in other U.S. cities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and 16 other Senators filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the lawsuit brought against President Trump for his misuse of the U.S. military earlier this year.

The lawsuit came from the State of California after Trump deployed 4,000 members of the California National Guard and 700 active-duty U.S. Marines to Los Angeles without legal justification or approval from state or local officials.

"Donald Trump's militarized spectacle in Los Angeles was a blatantly unlawful attempt to distract from his failing political agenda and enact his cruel mass deportation campaign. Trump's deployment of the military to 'blue' cities across America has never been about public safety - it's about retribution and control," said Senator Padilla. "This abuse of power is a threat to much more than just California or immigrant communities: if the Circuit Court allows the President to bypass the Governor of California to federalize the National Guard to suppress peaceful protests for immigrants' rights, what's to stop him from suppressing other rights across the country? Our arguments to the Court make clear that Trump's unprecedented militarization of Los Angeles should not be used as a playbook for terrorizing other cities across America."

"Donald Trump made his true motives for the deployment of our military in Los Angeles plain - instead of improving safety, he is focused on spectacle; instead of protecting Americans, he is punishing cities and states he believes are against him. Trump's abuse of power is clear, illegal, and unconstitutional - and our arguments to the Court explain why this case must be the line drawn in the sand to prevent further misuse of our servicemembers on the streets of American cities," said Senator Schiff.

The brief filed by the Senators in Newsom v. Trump warns of the potential for continued abuse of the military should the Court rule for the Administration.

"Our concern that President Trump will continue to act in bad faith and abuse his power is borne out by his recent deployment of state militias to Washington, D.C. and his stated intent to deploy state militias in other blue' cities," wrote the Senators.

After the Trump Administration deployed National Guard troops across Washington, D.C. and took control of the city's police department, Padilla supported legislation granting the District full authority over the D.C. National Guard and the Metropolitan Police Department. Additionally, Padilla placed a hold on Trump's nominee to serve as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant General Thomas Carden, until the Trump Administration releases all remaining U.S. military forces from their unjustified deployment to Los Angeles.

In addition to Padilla, Schiff, and Durbin, Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the brief.

Senator Padilla has been a leading voice in opposition to President Trump's militarization of Los Angeles. In June, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities. Padilla and Schiff also recently demanded the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) provide information on operational details related to the ongoing deployment of California National Guard personnel in Los Angeles, first federalized by President Trump on June 9.

Full text of the amicus brief is available here.

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