UnidosUS, NAACP, Civil Rights Groups Urge Congress to Exercise Constitutional Duty to Check Executive Overreach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2025
Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org
WASHINGTON — NAACP joined UnidosUS and 42 leading civil rights and advocacy organizations in releasing a letter calling on Congressional leaders to take immediate action to stop the unlawful deployment of military forces in U.S. cities and protect the civil rights of all Americans.
The letter is addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as they work to avert a government shutdown. It warns that recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and executive branch actions — including those enabling racial profiling and using military resources for immigration enforcement and routine law enforcement — "perpetuate executive branch overreach, undermine constitutional safeguards and civil rights and set a dangerous precedent for all American communities." The groups note that these actions will weaken legal protections and exacerbate civil rights abuses against all U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants.
"The military's role is to defend our nation, not patrol our neighborhoods. Families are already bracing for deep cuts to health care and food assistance, and now they are being forced to live in fear of military patrols in their own communities. Normalizing military involvement in immigration enforcement or routine law enforcement threatens the very foundation of our democracy and puts all of us at risk. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure that taxpayer money is not used to support these unlawful deployments," said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS.
The letter cites deployments of the National Guard and other military resources in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles as violations of the Posse Comitatus Act. It warns that these practices "weaken trust in government and destabilize families and neighborhoods" at a time when fear and division are already at dangerous levels.
"We need Congress to step up and protect the people who voted for them. Across the country, this president is abusing military and federal police powers to sow chaos and fear throughout Black and brown communities while trampling on our civil rights. American citizens, lawful immigrants and innocent youths have been swept up in needless and cruel arrests, upending their lives. This must end. If Congress fails to act, then the American people will send a clear message to lawmakers in the upcoming election that civil rights are non-negotiable," said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP.
NAACP, UnidosUS, and civil rights allies and advocacy partners urge Congress to use its constitutional authority to:
- Prevent the misuse of military resources for immigration enforcement or routine law enforcement in U.S. cities, including National Guard troops in Title 10 or Title 32 status.
- Hold federal officials accountable for violating the civil rights of citizens and law-abiding immigrants.
- Ensure that funds and taxpayer dollars are not used to support unlawful military deployments, including activities prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 1385 (Posse Comitatus Act), such as crowd control, search and seizure, checkpoints, arrests or interrogations.
UnidosUS and the organizations joining the letter have requested a written response from Congressional leaders by Friday, September 26, outlining the steps Congress will take to meet these demands. The groups emphasize their readiness to work with Congress to safeguard democratic principles and ensure that the rights of all Americans are protected.
Other civil rights leaders added:
"Make no mistake: this isn't just about Washington, D.C. or Los Angeles. President Trump is attempting to write himself a blank check to deploy federal agents and military troops against the very people they are supposed to protect. Congress must hold the Trump administration accountable for using federal forces to suppress dissent and target our immigrant neighbors and unhoused people," said Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer at the American Civil Liberties Union.
"This misuse of the military is not only impacting our immigrant community but also citizens. As someone who works in higher ed, I had to cancel a trip to DC to a Smithsonian after multiple (citizen) students expressed their discomfort at the idea of being present in DC. This is impacting education, civil rights and so much more," said Ana Lopez Martinez of Casa de la Cultura.
"In Eagle Pass, multiple military deployments have led to repeated rights abuses, including racial profiling, asylum pushbacks, family separation, physical violence and death, as well as community trauma, destruction of public property and pollution. The military has no place in public safety and community health. On the contrary, they put our lives at risk," said Ari Sawyer, co-director at Frontera Federation.
"Deploying the National Guard into our communities only serves to stifle local economies, instill fear, break trust and divert vital federal funding from lifesaving programs. The National Guard should not be used as a political ploy to intimidate, nor is it to be used as a tool for civilian law enforcement. The manner by which the Trump administration is using the National Guard is a threat to our democracy. Hispanic Federation calls on Congress to take action and pass meaningful legislation to prevent the misuse of military enforcement on our communities," said Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
"The militarization of our cities is a direct assault on the civil rights of working families — especially immigrants, Latinos and communities of color. For decades, these communities have carried the weight of discriminatory policing and surveillance, now intensified by executive overreach and unconstitutional enforcement. When neighborhoods are treated like battlefields and families like expendable pawns, our democracy suffers. Congress must act decisively to end these abuses, safeguard due process and ensure that working people are protected. True security will never come from armed patrols in our streets, but from justice, solidarity and the power of people standing together," said Evelyn DeJesus, national president at Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.
"Deploying the military into our neighborhoods is unlawful, dangerous and a direct assault on civil rights and democratic freedoms. Latinos, along with other minority communities, know too well the pain, fear and harm caused by racial profiling, over-policing and surveillance. Normalizing the use of troops against our own people is not public safety — it's abuse of power. We call on Congress to act now to end these practices and defend every family's right to live in dignity and safety," said Katharine Pichardo, president and CEO of Latino Victory.
"As a Marine veteran and LULAC President, I cannot stay silent while the freedoms I wore the uniform to defend are trampled here at home. For 96 years, LULAC has fought to protect Latino families and all Americans from discrimination. The Supreme Court's green light for racial profiling, paired with unlawful military deployments in our neighborhoods, undermines the Constitution and dishonors the values our service members risk their lives for. The military's duty is to defend our nation — not police our communities. LULAC stands with our allies to say clearly: no community is expendable, and we will not allow civil rights to be sacrificed under the guise of enforcement," said Roman Palomares, national president and board chairman of LULAC.
"Our families deserve safety, dignity and full protection, not unlawful use of military deployment in our neighborhoods. Misusing the military to engage in racial profiling is abuse of power and a dangerous violation of human and civil rights. This is not who we are as a democracy. Congress must act now to uphold civil rights, due process and constitutional protections for every family in this nation," said Hector Sanchez Barba, president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota.
"Deployment of the military against civilians not only violates deeply held constitutional principles, but also poses a grave threat to civil rights by evading democratic oversight and enabling the use of force without public accountability. It's an erosion of constitutional safeguards and an infringement on the freedoms guaranteed to every American citizen," said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League.
"This is not a drill. Federal immigration and law enforcement agents' unhinged overreach is wholly at odds with America's foundational and historical values. Our federal bureaucracy should not order militarized and forceful government actions against people in our communities and neighborhoods. As things stand, all of our civil, constitutional and democratic rights hang in the balance. We must act now, or we risk losing everything generations of Americans have fought to protect for nearly 250 years," said Drew P. Schaffer, director of the William E. Morris Institute for Justice.
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The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race–based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.
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