The Republican governors of West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio announced Saturday they will send National Guard troops to Washington, DC, in an escalation of President Donald Trump’s efforts to federally take over law enforcement in the city.

The city’s Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit calling for an emergency restraining order to block the move, accusing the Trump Administration of implementing a “hostile takeover” of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) that would lead to “imminent, irreparable harm”.

South Carolina and Ohio say they will send a combined 350 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., supplementing a surge of troops from Republican-led states.

The moves come as federal agents and National Guard troops have begun to appear across the heavily Democratic city after President Trump's executive order earlier this week.

The National Guard presence in D.C. is set to increase in the coming days after the governors of some Republican states deployed troops to the capital.

White House official says to expect "significantly higher National Guard presence” in Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey is deploying 300 to 400 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C ., at the request of President Donald Trump' s administration, according to a statement released Saturday. Newsweek reached out the White House via email on Saturday for comment.

West Virginia is sending 300 to 400 members of its National Guard to the nation’s capital to assist in the Trump administration’s takeover of the city’s police department.