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2h ago

More GOP States Send Guard to D.C. as Federal Operation Tops 2,000 Personnel

The move intensifies a contested federal operation justified as a crime crackdown despite data showing rates have fallen.

Members of the National Guard patrol after U.S. President Donald Trump deployed the force and ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to assist in crime prevention, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
Pedestrians pass an MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles) combat vehicle deployed by the Washington DC National Guard outside Union Station on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee joined West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio in deploying troops, bringing total state contributions to about 1,100 on top of roughly 800 from the D.C. Guard, with Joint Task Force–DC citing 2,091 personnel activated.
  • The White House says Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training, diverging from initial Army guidance that they would be unarmed, and troops are not making arrests but can briefly detain individuals for police.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi reports 465 arrests in 12 days as federal agencies including the FBI, DEA, ICE and Secret Service expand multi‑agency patrols, with an internal memo noting 700-plus federal officers supporting daily.
  • Following a D.C. lawsuit, the administration revised its directive to keep Police Chief Pamela Smith in day‑to‑day command of MPD, leaving broader legal challenges to the federal takeover unresolved.
  • Protests and political resistance have grown as operations focus on monument security, tourist corridors and homeless encampment removals, and at least one Republican governor, Vermont's Phil Scott, declined to send troops.