ACLU Supporter, last week, thousands of ACLU supporters joined us in demanding an end to President Trump's abuse of power in D.C. – and we're so grateful for this community's support.

Yet despite massive public backlash, the Trump administration has temporarily federalized the Metropolitan Police Department and is continuing to flood the streets of D.C. with federal agents and National Guard troops. The president promised to let police "do whatever the hell they want" – raising grave concerns about civil rights abuses, particularly for Black, Brown, and unhoused residents.

And here's the kicker: President Trump's takeover is only possible because D.C. isn't a state.

Congress can pass the Washington, D.C. Admission Act and finally grant statehood to the residents of D.C., giving them some protection from federal overreach. But our representatives must act. Residents deserve a say in how they're governed. Tell Congress: Pass D.C. Statehood now.

In neighborhood after neighborhood, federal agents are intimidating communities. Black residents are being stopped and questioned for sitting outside their own homes. Street vendors and workers – key parts of the D.C. community – have been scared out of working. Armored vehicles are stationed outside of metro stations, doing nothing but creating fear when people are trying to get home.

This is a massive abuse of the President's emergency powers. But the over 700,000 people who live in D.C. every day – who go to work, school, and live in the communities that these federal agents and troops are monitoring – have no voting representation in Congress and no say in the laws that govern them.

This leaves the city vulnerable to power grabs just like this one. Without statehood, the federal government is free to overrule local leaders and ignore residents entirely.

Our representatives can – and must – pass the bill to make D.C. the 51st state and give D.C. residents a say in their governance, just like those in every other state. If you're with us against President Trump's abuse of power, tell Congress to pass D.C. statehood today.

Together,

The ACLU Team