Domestic Deployment of U.S. Military
47 Articles
A Year Later: The Stakes of Ordering Military Personnel to Police American Streets
One year since Trump sent the National Guard to LA, a new report warns military deployments for domestic policing produce escalation, disillusionment, and politicization.
Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions
Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
The Constitution’s Forgotten Term Limit on Military Power
Most constitutional experts have never given the Two-Year Clause a second thought. The circumstances that made that neglect tolerable are in the process of dissolving.
The Army Clause: A Forgotten Constitutional Check on ICE, CBP, and the Pentagon
Why the One Big Beautiful Bill violates a forgotten constitutional check on funding standing armies and how Congress can enforce it now.
Trump v. Illinois: A Narrow Supreme Court Decision with Broad Implications
The rationale behind the Supreme Court’s decision in 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑣. 𝐼𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠 complicates Trump's remaining options for deploying federal military…
Trump’s Outline of a Domestic War
Former Undersecretary of Navy and Chair of Defense Policy Board discusses import of President Trump's address to active duty military leaders at Quantico.
One Week of Trump’s DC Takeover Attempt: An analysis of the president’s use of military, police, and security services in the nation’s capital
Detailed legal analysis of federalization of DC police and the deployment of Guard, DHS and other forces.
Trump, the National Guard, and the District of Columbia: What You Need to Know
The president’s maximalist legal approach in deploying the military may well foreshadow broader use of the military in other American cities.
How to Truly Keep Washington, DC Safe: President Trump’s militarized approach undercuts what’s been working
The spectacle in DC is a warning: presidential authority is being stretched simply to grab power. History tells us that’s how liberty erodes.
Trump’s Use of Federal Troops in Drug Raid Outside of Los Angeles: An Alarming Escalation
"An alarming escalation of the president's efforts to use the military as a domestic police force. Based on currently available information, it appears to be illegal, as well"
Posse Comitatus Act Meets the President’s “Protective Powers”: What’s Next in Newsom v. Trump
"Congress has been far more clear than is widely believed about what its view is..."
The “Unwilling or Unable” Test for Sending U.S. Military to American Streets
"The state of California, however, has not yet raised this point in the ongoing litigation. That is a missed opportunity ...."