Friend –

It's been nearly a year since President Trump manufactured a phony emergency to deploy the National Guard into Washington, D.C.

Today, thousands of National Guard troops remain in our nation's capital, patrolling the neighborhoods where people live, work, worship, and raise their families. Reports indicate that this military presence could continue through 2029.

Because Washington, D.C. is not a state, the president – not locally elected leaders – controls the D.C. National Guard.

That makes our nation's capital uniquely vulnerable to federal overreach and allows politicians to test extreme tactics they have promised to use again. We've already seen similar threats directed at cities across the country.

The people of D.C. deserve the same freedom and democratic rights as everyone else. They deserve local self-government, representation in Congress, and communities free from unnecessary military presence.

That's why we're inviting you to join us for Troops in the Nation's Capital: One Year Later. Please RSVP today.

This virtual conversation will go into detail on what this past year has meant for D.C., why it matters for democracy nationwide, and how you can help push back against federal overreach.

You'll hear from ACLU-D.C. Legal Director Scott Michelman, ACLU-D.C. client Sam O'Hara – who was unconstitutionally detained while documenting National Guard activity using music from Star Wars – Mike Zamore, ACLU's national director of policy & government affairs, and ACLU-D.C. Executive Director Monica Hopkins, who will moderate the discussion.

ACLU Supporter, without D.C.'s statehood, D.C. remains vulnerable to this kind of dangerous political exploitation. This abuse of power and attack on our rights is a threat to our nation's democracy. One year later, deployment continues. So does the fight to defend our democracy.

We hope you'll join us.

The ACLU Team