photo by: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly delivers her State of the State address, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is lending her support to a California lawsuit seeking to end a National Guard deployment that President Donald Trump has ordered in response to immigration-related protests in California.

Kelly on Thursday signed her name to an amicus brief that is part of the California lawsuit. The amicus brief doesn’t make Kelly or Kansas an actual plaintiff in the case. Rather such briefs are often known as a “friend of the court” brief, which gives interested parties a chance to weigh in on a case.

The brief argues Trump’s deployment and federalization without the consent of California Gov. Gavin Newsom is “unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic.”

Trump ordered the National Guard and other forces, including the Marines, to be sent to Los Angeles in response to protests against ICE raids happening in the area.

Kelly said in a press release that the president’s use of the military “has exacerbated safety issues and threatened constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment.”

Kelly noted the president’s memo federalizing the Guard does not limit these actions to just Los Angeles or to California or any specific U.S. region. It instead is “an unlimited claim” of authority to deploy the National Guards of any state for the next 60 days.

Kelly argues the states joining the amicus brief have an interest to stand up to what she called an “unnecessary and legally unjustified military call-up” to ensure National Guards are available to perform essential services in the state, including responding to natural disasters, counter-drug operations, and cybersecurity support.

The amicus brief is led by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings. Others joining are the state attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Kelly, a Democrat, has joined the brief, but Kansas Attorney Gen. Kris Kobach, a Republican, has not.