(MENAFN) A Tennessee court delivered a decisive ruling Monday striking down Governor Bill Lee's deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis—an action launched at President Donald Trump's behest—declaring it violated state law.

The court determined Lee exceeded his legal powers by dispatching military personnel to the city, emphasizing that Tennessee statutes authorize such mobilizations exclusively under narrowly defined circumstances.

The ruling specified that none of the legal prerequisites existed: no "grave emergency" nor a "disaster" nor a request from local officials, as required by law, the court found.

A coalition of local and state officials initiated the legal challenge, with representation from Democracy Forward, National Immigration Law Center, and Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, PLC.

Following the court's decision, the coalition issued a joint statement asserting the outcome safeguards core democratic values.

"We brought this case because Tennesseans deserve leaders who follow the law, respect our Constitution, and protect—not undermine—our democratic institutions. Today's ruling makes clear that no governor or president can deploy military force into our communities without legal authority, public accountability, or a genuine emergency. Military power must never be used as a political tool.

"Memphis deserves public safety, community investment, and democratic decision-making—not unlawful militarization," the coalition said.

Trump has authorized National Guard deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, DC. The president also dispatched hundreds of US Marines to Los Angeles in June to suppress civil disorder sparked by his immigration enforcement policies.

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