San Francisco is joining other cities across the United States in urging the Supreme Court to prevent the Trump administration from using the military as law enforcement in U.S. cities and sending the National Guard to Chicago.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said the city joined other jurisdictions in filing an amicus brief Monday in Trump v. Illinois.
“Needlessly and haphazardly deploying the military to American cities makes us all less safe,” Chiu said in a statement Tuesday. “These deployments inflame tensions, undermine local law enforcement, and harm local economies. We are joining local jurisdictions across the country to defend the rule of law and our right to peace and safety. We urge the Court to uphold the bedrock legal principle that domestic law enforcement is not the military’s job. San Francisco has seen historic drops in crime, and our local law enforcement are more than capable of keeping our city safe while upholding First Amendment rights. Our local law enforcement have deep local experience and expertise that the military simply does not. Should President Trump make good on his ridiculous threats to send the military to San Francisco, our city is prepared, and my office is prepared to take the necessary legal action to defend San Francisco.”