BALTIMORE, Md. — Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued a strong rebuke Friday following President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy federalized National Guard troops to Los Angeles, calling the move an “abuse of executive power.”
The deployment, carried out under Title 10 authority, bypassed the consent of California’s governor and has drawn criticism from state and local officials. The troops were sent in response to violent assaults on federal buildings and personnel during ongoing civil unrest in Los Angeles.
In a statement, Brown said, “President Trump’s decision to activate the National Guard under Title 10 and deploy them to Los Angeles—over the objections of California’s governor—is a deeply alarming abuse of executive power.”
Brown added that the move could have broader implications. “First it was the southern border, now it is Los Angeles—and tomorrow it could be Baltimore, Prince George’s County, or anywhere in Maryland.”
While the White House has defended the deployment as necessary to protect federal property and personnel under siege, Brown warned the action sets a dangerous precedent for federal involvement in local matters of civil unrest without state approval.
Federal-state tensions flare over use of Title 10 powers
The dispute centers on the use of Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows the president to federalize National Guard units without a governor’s request. Typically, National Guard troops operate under state control unless formally federalized by the president.
Critics argue that the use of Title 10 for domestic deployments—especially against the wishes of state leaders—could erode state sovereignty and escalate federal intervention in future civil protests. Supporters of the move maintain that the federal government has the responsibility to protect its facilities and personnel.
“As Maryland’s Chief Legal Officer, I condemn this reckless action,” Brown concluded in his statement.
Baltimore’s top law enforcement official joins growing opposition to federal troop deployments in U.S. cities.
