Military forces from Republican-controlled states begin deploying in DC, enforcing Trump's law enforcement intensification plan
The National Guard has been deployed in Washington D.C. as part of a crime crackdown initiative, aimed at curbing violent crime in the city. According to reports, approximately 2,300 Guard soldiers and airmen from D.C. and six other states were mobilized under direct presidential authority.
As of Monday morning, 896 DC soldiers and airmen were mobilized, with the focus of the National Guard not being high-crime areas of DC, as stated by a defense official. The Guard has not been requested to carry firearms, but the Pentagon announced that they would soon be armed with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their training and mission to lower crime rates.
The troops, trained to use de-escalation techniques, are equipped to support law enforcement with appropriate force if necessary. The National Guard is currently operating at 10 Metrorail stations in DC.
The deployment includes coordination with the D.C. police and federal law enforcement agencies, showing some level of integration with local authorities under this federal push. Trump has expressed intentions to expand the mission to other major cities like Chicago and New York, suggesting plans for broader inter-state assistance and federal involvement in local crime control efforts.
Notable leaders such as Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas have declined requests to deploy their respective National Guard for law enforcement activities in Washington, D.C. Gov. Kelly criticized GOP governors who sent troops, stating they are reinforcing a dangerous, politically motivated agenda.
The Democratic mayor of Washington D.C. has also stated that the situation is not about DC crime. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted 52 arrests Tuesday night, similar to the average adult arrests per day in Washington, D.C., in 2024. However, she noted that a significant number of the arrests have been in high-crime areas of DC.
The mission so far is presented as a federal-led operation coordinated with local and federal partners to address crime in D.C., with potential expansion to other cities. Detailed search results indicate no significant resistance or controversy from other states or local authorities in the provided documents.
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