Filed Date: Oct. 17, 2025
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On October 17, 2025, Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit in the Chancery Court for The State of Tennessee, Davidson County, against Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Attorney General Skrimetti, and others. Plaintiffs, including the Mayor of Shelby County, sought to challenge the unlawful deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops into Memphis, Tennessee at the urging of President Donald Trump. Plaintiffs alleged that President Trump requested defendants to deploy Tennessee National Guard Members under Title 32, which allows members of the national guard to serve in hybrid state-federal status. Under Article III, Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution, Title 32 deployment is only lawful under two circumstances: rebellion or invasion.
Plaintiffs argued that no such circumstances exist in Tennessee; rather, Defendants deployed the National Guard for routine domestic law enforcement. Plaintiffs argued that, as with federal deployments in California and Chicago, federal militarization stifles social and economic activity whilst rendering state troops unable to engage in alternate, often critical, work. Filing under the Tennessee Constitution (Article III, Section 5), as well as Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 58-1-106 and 58-1-301, Plaintiffs moved sought injunctive relief to preclude this unlawful militarization of the communities residing in Memphis.
This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Ben Hefter (10/27/2025)
State / Territory: Tennessee
Case Type(s):
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Litigation and Investigations Involving the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 17, 2025
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Coalition comprised of the Mayor of Shelby County, two commissioners of Shelby County, two members of the Tennessee General Assembly, and one council member for the City of Memphis
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Special Case Type(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority: