A lawsuit filed Thursday in South Carolina’s Supreme Court alleges Gov. Henry McMaster exceeded his legal authority by sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in December under a federal initiative aimed at crime prevention.
Filed by a Navy veteran and the nonprofit Democracy Forward Foundation, the suit seeks to reverse McMaster’s decision to deploy 300 service members and stop further deployments to the capital or other states. The South Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) joined in filing the challenge.
The deployment is part of “Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful,” an initiative launched by President Donald Trump, in which National Guard members support local law enforcement. McMaster sent 200 troops in August, followed by another 300 in December.
According to a statement from the South Carolina adjutant general’s office, the soldiers’ mission includes helping law enforcement maintain safety at transit hubs, local events, and tourist areas. South Carolina Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Robin Stilwell, who reports to the governor, is also named in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit argues McMaster violated state law, which permits Guard deployments only in cases of war, insurrection, rebellion, invasion, riot, or similar emergencies. Plaintiffs claim none of those conditions apply in Washington.
Attorneys noted the capital’s mayor did not request assistance, and violent crime in Washington fell 35% in 2024 from the previous year, reaching a 30-year low, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, said the deployment uses troops “as pawns in a harmful political gambit.” Plaintiff James Weninger, a Navy veteran from Berkeley County, argued the deployment puts South Carolinians at risk during emergencies.
Under a federal Title 32 agreement, McMaster retains authority over the troops, while the federal government covers the cost. Last summer, amid concerns about hurricane season, McMaster said he would recall the troops if a natural disaster threatened the state.
A similar challenge in West Virginia was dismissed in November, with a judge ruling the deployment was lawful under that state’s law.
South Carolina has about 9,200 Army National Guard and 1,300 Air National Guard members. The Guard has stated the out-of-state assignment does not limit its ability to respond to emergencies in South Carolina.
McMaster’s spokesperson Brandon Charochak defended the deployment, calling the governor’s authority “unambiguous” and stating it supports law enforcement and public safety. He criticized the legal challengers, saying their argument reflected “ignorance of constitutional and statutory law.”
South Carolina’s troops are among approximately 1,500 deployed from nine states to support the mission in Washington since August.
Plaintiffs have asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to take the case directly, citing urgency and broad public impact. The court has not yet ruled on whether it will hear the case.
SC Man sentenced to 6 years for possessing modified handgun
A Ridgeland man was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm modified to function as a fully automatic weapon.
Emmanuelle Hargrove Jr., 25, entered his plea on Jan. 8, 2026, two years after his arrest during a traffic stop in Beaufort, South Carolina. Prosecutors said Hargrove was a passenger in a Nissan Altima pulled over around 4 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2024, after a Beaufort police officer noticed a broken brake light as the car crossed the Woods Memorial Bridge onto Lady’s Island.
The officer searched the vehicle after detecting the smell of burnt marijuana, according to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. A Glock 31, modified with a device known as a “switch” to make it fully automatic, was found under the front passenger seat. Forensic tests later identified Hargrove’s DNA on the handgun.
The driver, 22-year-old Keianna Nichole Staple of Hilton Head Island, was charged with driving under suspension. No additional charges related to the weapon were announced for Staple.
Glock switches, about the size of a U.S. quarter, can be 3D-printed or bought online for approximately $20. In December, Glock announced plans to replace two pistol product lines with a model reportedly built to withstand such unauthorized devices.
Hargrove had no prior convictions but faces separate pending charges of attempted murder, possession of a stolen firearm, and discharging a weapon into a dwelling.
Officials in Beaufort County have raised concerns over the increased presence of modified firearms. According to 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone, more machine gun-related cases were prosecuted in 2024 and the second half of 2023 than in the previous decade, with over 65% of those in Beaufort County.
The discussion escalated following an October 2025 mass shooting at a bar on St. Helena Island, where witnesses reported hearing gunfire that sounded automatic. Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner did not confirm the weapon type used but criticized low bond amounts given to defendants facing similar charges.
“We chase them every week, every weekend,” Tanner said during a press conference, referring to individuals charged with machine gun possession and released on bond.
Anferny Freeman, charged with four counts of murder in connection with the St. Helena shooting, also faces unrelated machine gun possession charges.
