The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday sued Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) for deploying the state’s National Guard to Washington, D.C.

Morrisey was one of several red-state governors to send National Guard troops to the capital to supplement President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C. The move from the deep-red state is being challenged by its chapter of the ACLU on behalf of West Virginia Citizen Action Group, which argued that the deployment violated the law.

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The lawsuit argued that the “unprecedented and unlawful” deployment was meant to “serve as political props in a manufactured crisis that Washington, D.C. officials neither requested nor support.”

“Governor Patrick Morrisey has exceeded his constitutional and statutory authority by ordering West Virginia service members to abandon their families, jobs, and communities to police the streets of our nation’s capital, where violent crime has reached its lowest level in thirty years,” it added.

“The Guard’s services are indispensable to West Virginia, and sending these vital resources out of state to participate in a political stunt by the President is unprecedented, unconscionable, and unlawful,” Aubrey Sparks, ACLU-West Virginia’s legal director, said in a Thursday statement.

Morrisey ordered 300 to 400 National Guard troops to Washington on Saturday, saying their task would “include providing mission-essential equipment” and “specialized training.”

“West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital,” he said in a statement. “The men and women of our National Guard represent the best of our state, and this mission reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America.”

The contingent was put under the command of West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, who argued that the deployment “aligns with our values of service and dedication to our communities.”

LOUISIANA, TENNESSEE, AND MISSISSIPPI LATEST RED STATES TO SEND NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO DC

“We stand ready to support our partners in the National Capital Region and contribute to the collective effort of making our nation’s capital a clean and safe environment. The National Guard’s unique capabilities and preparedness make it an invaluable partner in this important undertaking,” he said.

Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina, and Louisiana also sent National Guard troops to the capital.