New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a prominent Greek-American lawmaker, has introduced new legislation that would prohibit any other state from deploying its National Guard forces onto New York soil without the prior approval of the New York State Governor.
The legislative initiative comes in response to recent threats by President Donald Trump to use state National Guards to enforce his mass deportation policy, where he characterized Democrat-run cities as “dangerous” and their residents as “internal enemies.”
Senator Gounardes’ bill establishes an explicit requirement for the Governor of New York’s consent before any deployment of another state’s military forces within its borders. Should a violation occur, the State Attorney General would be authorized to seek legal remedies, including injunctions and other legal consequences.
“It’s sad that we have to take steps to protect New Yorkers from a potential military incursion by other Americans, but that is the reality Trump has created,” the Senator stated. “Beyond that, however, this proposal aims to bolster public safety, prevent interstate tensions, and safeguard civil liberties.”
Gounardes’ National Guard bill in NY gets support
The proposal is already garnering broad support from various civil society organizations and entities. Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York, emphasized that “the National Guard must serve the people, not President Trump’s political agenda.”
Jasmine Gripper, Co-Chair of the New York Working Families Party, called the threats to deploy the National Guard an “immediate attack on democracy” and expressed her support for the bill.
Similar statements of support were issued by Citizen Action of New York and Indivisible Brooklyn, as well as the PSC/CUNY union, which represents 30,000 employees of the City University of New York. Its president, James Davis, underscored that “the uninvited deployment of another state’s National Guard would be an act that threatens state sovereignty and comity between states.”
Additionally, labor leaders Dennis G. Trainor of CWA District 1 and Manny Pastreich of 32BJ SEIU stated that the Senator’s initiative “defends democracy and enshrines the right of New Yorkers to decide their own affairs without external interference.”
The bill is expected to be taken up shortly by State Senate committees, backed by widespread support from progressive groups and civil rights organizations calling for the institutional fortification of New York’s sovereignty.
