Friend, we're in court today to stop Tennessee Governor Lee’s unlawful deployment of the National Guard in Memphis. I’m headed into the courtroom now, so I’ll keep this message short:

The deployment violates the Tennessee Constitution and state laws, which is why we are challenging it alongside our co-counsel and on behalf of seven local officials – mayors, councilmembers, commissioners, and legislators. The law is clear: In Tennessee, the National Guard can only be called up in the event of a rebellion or invasion, and only when the General Assembly declares that public safety requires it. None of that has happened in Memphis or Shelby County.

This is a clear case of governmental overreach. Governor Lee's actions ignore the Tennessee Constitution and override Memphis’s elected leadership.

We will not allow state officials to undermine the rule of law in a bid to help the Trump administration consolidate power. Nor will we stand by while our neighborhoods are militarized.

Stay tuned,

Benjamin R. Farley
Special Counsel
National Immigration Law Center