MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has filed an amicus brief urging a federal court to dismiss Colorado’s lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to permanently locate U.S. Space Command headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
According to Marshall’s office, the brief was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and argues that the president has the authority as Commander in Chief to determine the location of military headquarters.
“Colorado is asking a federal court to override the Commander in Chief on a national security decision because they don’t like the outcome. That’s not a legal argument, its sore loser politics dressed up in a lawsuit,” Marshall said.
He also criticized the previous administration’s handling of the issue.
“Despite Biden’s failed attempt at playing politics, we recognize and respect executive decision making, not legal delays of our country’s national security. It’s time for Colorado to respect the same principle now that the final decision has been made,” Marshall said.
The dispute over the permanent home of U.S. Space Command dates back to 2019, when the U.S. Air Force conducted a nationwide search for a headquarters location. According to the attorney general’s office, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville was consistently identified as the top choice based on mission requirements, cost savings and site evaluations.
President Trump accepted the Air Force’s recommendation in January 2021 and designated Huntsville as the permanent headquarters.
After President Joe Biden took office, his administration ordered a new review of the decision. The attorney general’s office said that review, completed in late 2022, again identified Huntsville as the Air Force’s preferred location. However, in July 2023, Biden selected Colorado Springs as the permanent headquarters instead.
Marshall’s office said the White House declined to provide an explanation to investigators with the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Defense Inspector General, citing presidential decision-making authority. The office also referenced reports at the time that linked the decision to Alabama’s abortion law.
After returning to office, President Trump redesignated Redstone Arsenal as the permanent headquarters for U.S. Space Command on Sept. 2, 2025.
Colorado later filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn that decision. Marshall’s office is now asking the court to dismiss the case and allow the headquarters designation to stand.