BALTIMORE, MD – A coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors, led by Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, has filed a court brief opposing President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago without state consent.
New Jersey joined the multi-state effort, aligning with Maryland and other Democratic-led states against what they describe as an unconstitutional use of federal military power.
The filing, submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, supports Illinois in its legal challenge to the deployment.
Brown said the President’s actions undermine civilian control of the military and violate the sovereignty of states guaranteed under the Constitution.
Coalition argues deployment violates federal law
According to the brief, the Trump administration’s decision to send National Guard units into cities without the approval of state leaders breaches both constitutional and statutory limits.
The document cites a pattern of unauthorized deployments in California, Washington, D.C., Oregon, and now Illinois, asserting that the moves usurp the role of local law enforcement.
“President Trump’s use of the National Guard to patrol American cities without the consent of state leaders is an outrageous abuse of power based on politics, not public safety,” Brown said in a statement announcing the filing.
He added that repeated unilateral deployments could “politicize the military” and erode the traditional boundary between civilian and military authority.
Court limits Trump administration’s immediate request
Earlier Friday, the Seventh Circuit declined to issue an immediate stay that would have allowed the Trump administration to proceed with the Illinois deployment while the case continues.
The appellate panel did permit the federalization of Guard troops during the ongoing legal review but upheld a lower court’s temporary block on their use within Chicago.
Blue state leaders vow to defend state sovereignty
Alongside Maryland and New Jersey, attorneys general from states including California, New York, Oregon, and Washington signed onto the brief. Governors from Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania also joined the challenge.
The coalition urged the court to reject the administration’s appeal outright, arguing that unchecked use of the National Guard in domestic law enforcement threatens democratic norms and public trust.
As the legal battle advances, state officials say the outcome will determine how far any president can go in using military forces inside U.S. cities without state approval.