A lawsuit has been filed in the South Carolina Supreme Court challenging Governor McMaster’s authority to deploy the South Carolina National Guard to Washington, D.C., arguing such deployments violate state law that reserves activation to conditions set by the General Assembly.

The plaintiffs, including the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and Navy veteran James Weninger, are represented by the ACLU of South Carolina and Democracy Forward.

The suit seeks a ruling deeming the deployments unlawful and asks the court to bar further deployments used for political purposes and to halt current deployments.

The case contends there were no legislatively authorized conditions to justify the August 2025 and November 2025 orders, and that the deployments constitute political theater tied to federal actions.

Advocates argue the National Guard should not be used to serve political objectives and emphasize the importance of deploying Guardsmen only in emergencies under state law.

ACLU spokesperson Paul Bowers labeled the move political theater and questioned its legality, citing state restraints that should apply to Washington deployments.

The governor’s office and spokesman responded with statements defending the legality of the deployments, while critics argued there is a misinterpretation of the law.

The suit was filed on January 7, 2026, and the court has not yet ruled on whether it will hear the case, which centers on the legality and funding of the deployments.

This is an evolving, developing story with ongoing updates expected.

Readers are directed to consult the full complaint provided in the article for detailed allegations.

The deployments occurred in August 2025 and again in November 2025 as part of a broader national effort associated with an executive order addressing crime in D.C.

The timeline describes an August 2025 mobilization of about 200 SC Guardsmen and a December deployment of more than 300, with a 90-day rotation, under President Trump’s efforts.