Since the start of his term, President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and most recently, Portland, Ore. and Memphis, Tenn. He first sent 4,000 members of the National Guard to Los Angeles back in June. Then, we saw the deployment of troops to Washington, D.C. in August, who remain there today. In September, 500 members were deployed to the Chicago area. Later that month, 200 were sent to Portland. And now, as of Oct. 10, the National Guard has been patrolling Memphis.
Local and state governments have been against the deployment of these troops, with the exception of the Tennessee mayor’s support. These states have taken to the courts to fight against Trump. Currently, Los Angeles is suing the Trump administration, and Illinois and Oregon courts are fighting the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago and Portland, respectively. The deployment of the National Guard can be confusing, so here is a quick breakdown for Minnesotans:
Why?
Trump has sent the National Guard to cities he has deemed dangerous in hopes of cracking down on violent crime and homelessness, quelling protests, and supporting deportation attempts. But what makes these cities so dangerous? There have been an increasing number of protests against Trump’s immigration policies, ICE, and anti-immigration sentiments in these cities. They are also all Democrat-led, with Chicago, Portland, and Los Angeles also considered sanctuary cities. Is part of the reason Trump is using the military because he feels threatened by these cities?
Is it legal?
The question of the legality when it comes to the federal use of the National Guard is up for debate. The Posse Comitatus Act stops the military from acting as civil law enforcement, unless authorized by Congress or the Constitution. At the same time, the Insurrection Act allows the president to deploy the military on U.S. soil in cases of rebellion or extreme domestic violence. The Insurrection Act has not been enacted since 1992, during the Los Angeles riots, and it has never been used in the capacity it is now. Trump is claiming that this is a lawful response to the protests and crime in each of these cities. Yet, these cities are against National Guard deployment. Why should the president be able to deploy the military to cities in opposition?
What about Minnesota?
The question we are facing now is: will Minnesota become the next target? Minnesota has been vocal about its stance against Trump’s policies, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. are sanctuary cities. In the chance that the National Guard is deployed, Governor Walz has said he is ready to use the courts to fight the Trump administration.