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11h ago

Emails Show DC Guard Told to ‘Winterize’ as Court Filing Says Deployment Could Stretch Into 2026

District lawyers argue the 2,500‑troop operation amounts to unlawful law enforcement under federal limits.

National Guard members seen at D.C.'s Navy Yard. (Marco Tavares/7News)
Members of the South Carolina National Guard patrol the National Mall, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Overview

  • The D.C. attorney general’s latest filing includes an email from Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard ordering units to winterize and plan for a long-term persistent presence.
  • The filing says the deployment, initially set to end Nov. 30, could continue well past that date and possibly through the America250 events in summer 2026.
  • Roughly 2,500 National Guard members remain on duty in the city under the federal ‘crime emergency’ and the “Safe and Beautiful” mission.
  • The lawsuit alleges some Guard members were deputized as federal law-enforcement agents, raising Posse Comitatus concerns about military involvement in policing.
  • The White House defends the deployment as lawful support to protect federal assets, while Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered MPD to coordinate with Guard and federal partners as local officials report strain on police resources.