Legislation would require the governor’s explicit approval for military to be deployed in the state

 

LANSING, Mich., Aug. 21, 2025 — President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard and sent hundreds of federal law enforcement agents to occupy Washington, D.C. This latest unprecedented abuse of executive power comes on the heels of a similar deployment in Los Angeles earlier this summer and ahead of plans to replicate the action in other cities around the country. In response to recent federal actions, state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) introduced House Bill 4796 to prohibit the deployment of an armed military force from another state, territory or district in Michigan without the governor’s approval. Under the bill, an armed military force deployed for the purpose of military duty would not be allowed to enter the state without permission from the governor.

“The national guard plays a critical role in responding to natural disasters, like the devastating ice storm northern Michigan experienced earlier this year. But what the administration is doing is creating a man-made disaster,” Pohutsky said. “Deploying U.S. armed forces against civilians runs counter to the very foundations of our country. As elected leaders, we cannot allow this to go on unchecked.”

States like Washington, Indiana, Maine and Oklahoma all have passed similar laws designed to uphold the U.S. Constitution, federal statutes and state sovereignty by requiring the governor’s approval ahead of military action within their states. This legislation aims to protect against the unlawful federalization and deployment of state armed forces.

“This legislation makes clear that no outside state can send armed forces into Michigan without clear and lawful approval from the governor,” said state Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit). “It is about protecting our state’s sovereignty, keeping decisions about public safety in Michigan’s hands and ensuring that military activity here is accountable to the people of Michigan.” 

“Recently, we have witnessed the deployment of military personnel across the country – which raises an alarm among civil rights advocates, legal scholars, and everyday Americans. These events remind us: the line between local policing and federal military occupation can be very thin,” Kyle Zawacki, Legislative Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said. “The ACLU of Michigan believes that military forces should never be used to police protests, intimidate residents, or bypass local decision-making. This bill affirms a core safeguard: that only the governor, elected by the people of Michigan, has the authority to decide whether troops should operate within our borders. Without that authorization, those forces have no place in our streets, our towns, or our communities.”

“Our country is experiencing a constitutional crisis, spurred by the lawless actions of the U.S. chief executive and emboldened by congressional Republicans who will not act,” Pohutsky added. “It’s imperative that we give the states and our courts every tool available to push back against authoritarianism, and that’s what this bill aims to do.”

The administration has used high crime rates as justification for federal action, despite a 30-year low in violent crime in Washington, D.C. Nationally, violent crime rates have continued to fall; violent crime decreased 4.5% from 2023 to 2024.

“Since 2018, an overwhelming majority of Michiganders have consistently reaffirmed their support for core democratic principles of freedom, fairness, and the rule of law, through ballot proposals passed in 2018 and 2022,” said Christy McGillivray, executive director of Voters Not Politicians. “The broad support these non-partisan, pro-democracy ballot initiatives received reflects the pro-democratic values of Michiganders. The Trump administration’s blatant misuse of the National Guard to police American citizens stands in stark opposition to those pro-democracy values expressed by the majority of Michiganders. Under no circumstances should the threat of deployment of National Guardsmen from other states be used to intimidate Michiganders as they exercise their constitutionally protected rights and freedoms.”

 

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