WASHINGTON (AP) — The D.C. National Guard will be deployed to the nation’s capital through the end of February, according to an official order reviewed by The Associated Press.
The official order, dated November 4, extends the original order from August 11 and states that Guard members will remain in the city until at least February 28. The order states the additional mission is in response to the state of emergency declared by President Donald Trump in August and at the direction of the Secretary of the Army “to protect federal property and functions in the District of Columbia and to support federal and local law enforcement.”
Hundreds of National Guard troops have been in Washington since August, according to President Trump’s remarks. crime fighting mission This included the federal government’s takeover of local police departments. that command The deadline expired in September, but But about 2,000 National Guard troops from Washington, D.C. and at least eight states remain in the city, with most troops planning to leave by the end of November.
The Washington, D.C. National Guard is the single largest troop provider, with 949 soldiers making up a total force of 2,375 troops. West Virginia is the next largest state contributing troops to the task force with 416 Guard members.
Some are armed and provide a military presence in public places, particularly in the city’s federal parks, subway stations, and Amtrak stations.
National Guard task forces appear to have spent most of their time doing gardening and landscaping around the capital. In an update provided in early October, corps officials boasted that the corps removed 1,150 bags of trash, laid 1,045 cubic yards of mulch, removed 50 truckloads of plant waste, cleared 12.5 miles of road, painted 270 feet of fence and pruned 400 trees. Since then, most daily updates from the task force have provided only new troop numbers and no overview of beautification efforts.
One segment of DC guard In response to the requests of local neighbors and residents, we have collaborated with various neighborhoods to engage in beautification activities.
The presence of security guards in the city has been an ongoing topic. lawsuitfiled on September 4 by Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, challenged the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard in heavily Democratic cities. the lawsuit sparked applications by 45 states Of these, 23 people supported the Trump administration and 22 people supported Washington. The Trump administration claimed he had full authority to deploy security forces to Washington because he was appointed commander of the D.C. Guard.
Court papers filed by Schwalb seeking the Guard’s removal from the city indicate there are plans for the D.C. Guard to potentially remain in the city until at least next summer. U.S. District Judge Gia Cobb, appointed by former President Joe Biden, heard arguments on October 24 at Schwalb’s request, but did not reach a ruling.
It is currently unclear how long other states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama, will continue to deploy troops to Washington’s task force. some states He told The Associated Press that he plans to end the deployment by Nov. 30, but said it also depends on whether an order is issued to extend the deployment. The order does not mention other states.
