What you should know
- New York City and Coalition Again Support California’s Case Against Federal Administration
- Brief Contends That Cities — Not Military — Hold Lawful Expertise and Authority Over Domestic Law Enforcement, Are Better Suited to Ensure Public Safety While Protecting First Amendment Rights
NEW YORK – The City of New York — as part of a coalition of 36 localities from around the nation — has filed another amicus brief supporting California Governor Gavin Newsom’s ongoing case against the federal government’s unlawful deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. In the brief, the coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to deny the federal government’s motion to stay a September 2, 2025 district court ruling in Newsom v. Trump, which enjoined the federal government from deploying federal troops in Los Angeles to execute the law in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. This ruling, the second time the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has blocked the federal government’s actions in this case, held that the Trump administration exceeded legal limits that prohibit the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
“We will always fight to protect our city’s right to make the best public safety decisions for New Yorkers. Already in 2025, the NYPD has safely managed over 3,200 protests without major incidents. We have the greatest police department in the world, and they are more than equipped to handle all public safety concerns that come our way, including protests,” said Mayor Adams. “We do not need a deployment of the National Guard to our city. Instead, we hope to continue to work with the federal government to stop the flow of illegal guns to our city from across the nation. We remain committed to keeping New Yorkers safe through smart, precision-driven policing.”
“Turning the military into a domestic police force with no local oversight sets a dangerous precedent for cities across this nation,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “As demonstrated in this brief, the unnecessary deployment of armed soldiers in cities violates federal law that has been in place for over a century and threatens the economic and social stability of communities by sowing chaos and fear. We urge the court to deny the Trump administration’s request for a stay so the district court’s injunction can take effect.”
In the amicus brief — prepared by the City of Los Angeles — the coalition argues that the federal government’s use of the military inflicts irreparable harm and encroaches on the authority of states and localities, which are better trained to handle domestic law enforcement. The brief further maintains that the Los Angeles Police Department responded successfully to the wide-scale protests, including the No Kings’ Day protests on June 14, 2025, in which 200,000 people poured onto the streets, and there was no basis for the federal government’s intervention with armed soldiers who are primarily trained to defend America against attack.
Moreover, the brief contends that the deployment of federal troops negatively impacts immigrants who contribute greatly to regional economies. The brief observes that these communities are living in fear, “unable to engage in the simplest daily tasks — going to work or sending children to school — without considering the risk to their safety and freedom.” In Los Angeles, the brief states, more people are staying home, resulting in a “ghost town,” and that the visible decline in economic activities has caused businesses to close and has contributed to a significant reduction in local tax revenue available to fund schools and other vital public services.
The brief warns that other cities may face similar consequences, as the federal government has stated plans for further troop deployments across the nation.
Joining the City of New York and the City of Los Angeles in filing the amicus brief are the cities of Alameda, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, Long Beach, Monterey Park, Oakland, Salinas, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood, California; Hartford, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; Iowa City, Iowa; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Albany and Rochester, New York; Beaverton and Portland, Oregon; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; Burlington, Vermont; Seattle, Washington; and Madison, Wisconsin; as well as the counties of Los Angeles, Santa Clara, and Sonoma, California; Boulder, Colorado; and Tacoma, WA; as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
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