In a robust show of solidarity, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has added her name to the chorus of legal voices against the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops in American cities without local consent. According to Mass.gov, AG Campbell filed an amicus brief corroborating D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's lawsuit to challenge this move. Joining a coalition of 22 attorneys general, she decried the act as "unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic."
"I am proud to stand with my colleagues in urging the court to reject this illegal National Guard deployment that creates unnecessary fear, undermines established trust between residents and local law enforcement, and conjures up the horrors of a police state where law enforcement patrols and controls rather than protects its people," AG Campbell was quoted as saying, in a statement garnered from Mass.gov. The stance taken by AG Campbell reflects growing concerns about the erosion of citizen's trust in their local law enforcement, which has been tasked with controlling rather than protecting. Meanwhile, the California experience serves as a stark reminder, where troops supplanting wildfire crews in the middle of peak fire season only added insult to injury.
The deployment, having originated in California, underlined the disquieting effects of military presence: heightened public fear and a society paralyzed by the sight of military in the streets, leading to absenteeism from workplaces and public withdrawal. One of the vital lessons drawn from California is the diversion of troops from fighting wildfires to patrolling the streets, as detailed in the same Mass.gov report.
AG Campbell, in the brief, argues that using the military for local law enforcement disrupts the delicate balance of power and steps over the constitutional rights reserved for the states and local governments. The coalition believes that the deployment infringes on the police powers reserved to states and localities and highlights that the National Guard troops lack necessary training in critical areas such as criminal procedure, civil rights, and de-escalation. Raising complications and dangers not only to the public but also towards the troops themselves while they are engaging with the community, this deployment misplaces priorities. As put forth by the attorneys general, states require the availability of the National Guard for essential functions like natural disaster response and security, not for patrolling city streets and enacting civilian law enforcement duties.
Backing AG Campbell's perspective is a coalition comprising attorneys general from a broad spectrum of states including California, Maryland, and New York. According to the brief filed, this united front underscores the nationwide apprehension about the potential risks of a militarized approach to local governance and the subsequent damage to public trust and well-being.
