Attorney General Kaul Joins Amicus Brief Against President Trumps National Guard Deployment to Oregon

MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in an amicus brief supporting Oregon’s court challenge to the Trump administration’s attempt to illegally use the National Guard for civil law enforcement in that state.

Similar to previous illegal deployments of the National Guard, the President has relied on exaggerated and inaccurate descriptions as pretext for taking National Guard servicemembers from their homes to patrol cities that are not experiencing crises but that are located in states that voted against the President.

On Saturday, a federal judge issued a restraining order temporarily preventing the administration from deploying the Guard in Oregon. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, said the federal government’s arguments are “simply untethered to the facts” and “risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power – to the detriment of this nation.”

“President Trump is misusing the National Guard,” said AG Kaul. “His efforts to send the National Guard to American cities are unwarranted and should be stopped by the courts.”

This amicus brief supports Oregon’s arguments that this National Guard deployment is contrary to the foundational principle of our government that the military is subordinate to civil authority. The President’s unlawful and unconstitutional use of the military has exacerbated safety issues and threatened constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment.

The states also have an interest in ensuring their National Guards are available to perform the essential services they provide the states on an ongoing basis. They provide critical services responding to natural disasters, counter-drug operations, and cybersecurity support, among other daily contributions to public safety. This unlawful federalization pulls volunteer service members away from performing vital services, and states are not in a position to replace them.

Others joining Attorney General Kaul in this amicus brief include the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also joined the filing.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.