D.C. sues to boot National Guard from city streets

Driving the news: The decision to sue from the city's independent AG is in contrast to Mayor Muriel Bowser's collaboration with Trump. It comes two days after a federal judge ruled the federal government illegally sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles for anti-ICE protests.

• Schwalb's lawsuit argues the roughly 2,300 National Guard troops deployed in D.C. are subject to the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally doesn't allow the military to deploy for domestic crime fighting.
• "It's D.C. today but could be any other city tomorrow," Schwalb said in a statement. "We've filed this action to put an end to this illegal federal overreach."

Zoom in: Unlike in states, the National Guard of D.C. is under the president's authority.

• But Schwalb argues the troops can't be deployed to police the city without the consent of local leadership.
• He also argues the federal government can't assert control over Guard members who were sent into D.C. from seven other states.

The other side: "President Trump is well within his lawful authority to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C. to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement with specific tasks," says Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson.

• "This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt — at the detriment of D.C. residents and visitors — to undermine the president's highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C."

Flashback: Bowser this week signed an executive order calling for coordination with the feds "to the maximum extent allowable by law," as she seeks to defuse tensions and bring an end to the takeover.

Between the lines: Schwalb is in the crosshairs of conservatives in Congress. A House bill proposes to replace him with a presidential appointee, the Washington Post reported late Wednesday.

• Schwalb had launched his re-election campaign earlier that day.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.