Federalization of State National Guards — Trump’s not the first!

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Trump’s Recent Deployments and Historical Precedents

President Donald Trump has federalized state National Guard units twice in 2025, first in Los Angeles and now in Washington, D.C., to address domestic challenges ranging from immigration protests to urban crime. These actions, invoking laws like the Insurrection Act and specific federal statutes, mark a continuation of a practice used by presidents since the nation’s founding to enforce federal authority or restore order when state resources are deemed insufficient or uncooperative. While the D.C. National Guard operates under direct presidential control due to the district’s unique status, the Los Angeles deployment involved overriding state objections, sparking legal challenges.

In Los Angeles, Trump federalized members of the California National Guard on June 1, 2025, under Section 12406 of Title 10, deploying them to support immigration enforcement amid anti-deportation protests.  The move came over objections from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who argued it violated the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which limits military involvement in domestic law enforcement.

A federal trial began on August 11, 2025, to determine if the deployment was lawful, with a U.S. District Court judge hearing arguments on whether it constituted an improper use of military force in civilian matters.  This was only the second time in U.S. history a president used this specific authority to federalize a state Guard exclusively for such purposes.

In Washington, D.C., Trump announced on August 11, 2025, the activation of 800 D.C. National Guard troops and a federal takeover of the city’s police department to combat rising crime and homelessness.  Invoking the Home Rule Act, which grants the president emergency powers over D.C. due to its non-state status, the deployment aims to patrol streets and enforce order, with troops not carrying rifles openly.  This follows Trump’s earlier threats of federal intervention in the capital, where he has greater direct authority over the Guard than in states. 

Such federalizations have occurred numerous times throughout American history, often under the Insurrection Act of 1807, which empowers presidents to deploy troops or federalize Guards to suppress insurrections, enforce laws, or protect civil rights when states cannot or will not act. Here is a list of key instances, with explanations of the reasons:

  1. In 1794, President George Washington federalized state militias from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. The action addressed armed protests against a federal excise tax on liquor, which farmers viewed as unfair, leading to violence and threats to federal authority.
  2. In 1799, President John Adams federalized Pennsylvania militia to quell Fries’s Rebellion in eastern Pennsylvania. The uprising stemmed from opposition to a federal property tax to fund potential war with France, involving armed resistance and kidnappings of tax collectors.
  3. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln federalized state militias across Union states at the outset of the Civil War. The move aimed to raise 75,000 troops to suppress the secession of Confederate states and preserve the Union, invoking the Militia Acts of 1792.
  4. In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and deployed 1,200 U.S. Army troops to Little Rock, Arkansas. This enforced the Supreme Court’s desegregation order at Central High School, overriding Gov. Orval Faubus’s use of the Guard to block nine Black students from entering.
  5. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy federalized the Mississippi National Guard to integrate the University of Mississippi in Oxford. The deployment countered riots and Gov. Ross Barnett’s resistance to admitting James Meredith, the first Black student, under federal court orders.
  6. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard twice: first in June to integrate the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, despite Gov. George Wallace’s symbolic stand against two Black students; and later that year for broader enforcement of desegregation amid ongoing resistance.
  7. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson federalized the Alabama National Guard to protect civil rights marchers from Selma to Montgomery. Following “Bloody Sunday” attacks by state troopers on March 7, the action ensured safe passage for activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. advocating for voting rights.
  8. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson federalized 8,000 Michigan National Guard troops and sent 5,000 federal troops to Detroit, Michigan. The deployment quelled five days of riots sparked by police raids, amid issues of racial tension, unemployment, and brutality, resulting in 43 deaths and widespread destruction.
  9. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson federalized National Guard units in multiple cities, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Wilmington, following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4. The actions addressed riots driven by grief and frustration over systemic racism, with troops patrolling for months in some areas.
  10. In 1989, presidents authorized federal support, including National Guard federalization in affected states, after Hurricane Hugo struck the U.S. Virgin Islands and South Carolina. Governors requested aid to combat looting and restore order amid widespread devastation and power outages.
  11. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush federalized nearly 6,000 California National Guard troops and deployed federal forces to Los Angeles. The move responded to three days of riots after the acquittal of officers in the Rodney King beating, involving looting, arson, and violence that caused 63 deaths.

These historical uses highlight federalization as a tool for addressing rebellions, civil rights enforcement, and urban unrest, often amid state-federal tensions. Trump’s 2025 actions add to this legacy, focusing on immigration and crime, with ongoing court scrutiny in the Los Angeles case revealing debates over military roles in domestic affairs.

And of course, on Jan 6, Speaker Pelosi did this…