Gov. Wes Moore, other officials push to prevent unwanted National Guard deployments

Ben Mause, Baltimore Sun on Oct 10, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Multiple state officials and lawmakers have recently moved to support efforts that would make it harder — or even illegal — for President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard to Maryland without the state’s consent.

Gov. Wes Moore announced Thursday night that Maryland would co-lead a coalition of 24 governors and attorneys general “in support of Oregon’s legal challenge against the attempts to deploy the National Guard for civil law enforcement.”

“The fact that Donald Trump is politicizing and misusing our military to go into American cities is deeply disrespectful, dangerous, and un-American,” Moore posted on X.

It’s in partnership with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.

“President Trump has now deployed the National Guard four times in four months to cities where local police are fully capable of maintaining law and order,” Brown said in a statement Wednesday about the coalition. “These deployments are about politics, not public safety. Maryland stands with Oregon because the Trump administration’s repeated abuse of power threatens every state’s ability to govern itself and protect its residents. We cannot allow these deployments to become the new normal.”

Brown co-led an amicus brief that supported Oregon’s lawsuit against the Trump administration. Oregon filed the legal challenge after the administration ordered National Guardsmen to Portland, citing dangers to a South Portland immigration facility and its officers and officials due to ongoing protests.

“By calling forth troops when there is no invasion to repel, no rebellion to suppress, and when state and local law enforcement are fully able to execute the law, the President flouts the vision of our Founders, undermines the rule of law, and sets a chilling precedent that puts the constitutional rights of all Americans at risk,” the filing said.

Trump federalized the Oregon National Guard in late September. But last Saturday, a federal judge issued a restraining order that prevented the deployment of 200 Guardsmen to Portland, though they remained federalized. A judge issued a second order the next day, blocking Trump from deploying National Guard troops from other states to Oregon.

“My goal is very simple,” Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social, linking to a story that listed when presidents have activated troops in the United States. “STOP CRIME IN AMERICA!”

Several people have been arrested during the protests, including prominent conservative activist Nick Sortor.

The president has repeatedly threatened to send the National Guard to Maryland, citing crime in Baltimore.

While Moore announced Maryland’s legal support of Oregon, Sen. Chris Van Hollen was offering an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have limited the executive branch’s authority to activate the National Guard. The NDAA authorizes appropriations for the Department of Defense and other defense-related activities. It is usually passed with heavy bipartisan support.

Van Hollen’s amendment ultimately failed, despite unanimous support from his Democratic colleagues.

“I offered an amendment to block the President from deploying the National Guard to a state or the District of Columbia if that state’s governor, or the D.C. Mayor, objects,” Van Hollen said Thursday night in a statement after the vote. “But Republicans once again acted as rubber stamps for this lawless President, and rejected it.”

The NDAA passed in bipartisan fashion, with Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks voting in favor and Van Hollen against.

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