Pennsylvania has joined nearly two dozen other states in taking legal action in an attempt to stop President Trump from deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities.
The multistate amicus brief argues that the deployment of National Guard troops in Oregon was “unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic,” according to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.
The Trump administration has offered a range of justifications for sending National Guard troops to U.S. cities, including supporting efforts to reduce crime, quell violent protests, provide administrative and logistical support for immigration enforcement activities and protect federal property.
Shapiro said during an appearance in Philadelphia that he joined the other states in filing the brief “to make very, very clear that the Pennsylvania National Guard, under the leadership of Gen. (John) Pippy, is under my command. I’m the commander in chief of the Pennsylvania National Guard, and we use the Guard responsibility.
“I think the way the president has chosen to deploy the Guard in other states, and in at least one case, deploy the guard of one state into another state — Texas into Illinois — is extremely dangerous,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro argued that Trump’s handling of the Guard “does not make us more safe. It creates chaos and real danger in our communities.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House has panned Shapiro over his past criticism of the Trump administration’s National Guard deployments.
“Another wannabe presidential candidate is desperate to get into the news cycle by attacking the president’s highly successful operations to drive down violent crime,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said last month in a statement to TribLive.
“This won’t fool the American people and Pennsylvanians who elected President Trump on his law-and-order platform,” Jackson added.