Progressive Maryland Executive Director, Larry Stafford, Jr., Issued the Following Statement on Trump Deploying The National Guard in DC:

"President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement to Washington, D.C., under the guise of addressing ‘crime’ is a calculated attack on immigrants, unhoused individuals, and those exercising their right to protest. This militarization of our streets is not about public safety—it is about fear, control, and silencing dissent. 

In our view, this abuse of power is a test run for implementing authoritarian rule in other cities across the country. If unchecked, this reckless overreach will set a dangerous precedent for using federal forces to dismantle local governance and escalate the violence against our communities. 

We call on Congress to immediately intervene and block this terrorist decision. Lawmakers must act to ensure that federal resources are not weaponized against vulnerable residents.

Progressive Maryland urges all allies and advocates to amplify Know Your Rights campaigns, support local organizing efforts, and demand accountability from those in power. We must resist this assault on our democracy and fight for our dignity and safety."

Progressive Maryland is committed to building social, economic, and racial justice throughout the state of Maryland.

• Environmental Justice – Maryland is home to many environmental treasures from the Chesapeake Bay to our state and community parks. Unfortunately, pollution and misguided corporate practices threaten these public resources, often at the expense of low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. We believe in an economic system that puts people and environment above corporate profits and will continue to fight to make this a reality.    

• Fair Elections – Corporations and mega donors have too much influence over who can run for office, the issues they debate, who wins, and the public policies they produce. We are committed to getting big money out of politics by creating systems that empower small dollar donors and makes elected officials accountable to the people that elected them, not their special interest donors.              

• Medicare for All -- Nearly 30 million Americans have no healthcare coverage. 40 million people in the U.S. cannot afford the cost of the health coverage that they currently have. Let’s be honest, even if you’re “covered”, you’re really not. With $3.5 trillion per year/18% of the GDP going towards healthcare in this country, we should have the best healthcare in the world, but we don’t. We spend almost double what other major industrialized nations spend and our healthcare outcomes rank as some of the lowest in the world.                              

• Police Reform – Following the tragic death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Progressive Maryland joined with other civil rights and community organizations to form the Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability (MCJPA). During the 2016 state legislative session, the coalition successfully passed an omnibus bill creating greater transparency into the way policing is conducted. We continue to fight against police misconduct and build trust between law enforcement and the public to ensure the safety of Maryland communities.