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1h ago

Trump Expands Guard’s Law‑Enforcement Role as Armed Units Patrol D.C.

Potential expansions to Chicago, New York or Baltimore have spurred local officials to prepare lawsuits.

National Guard troops stand guard outside a Shake Shack in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump visits the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility on August 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order, as Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth look on in the White House Oval Office on Aug. 25, 2025.
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during the signing of executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Overview

  • A new executive order directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to form a specialized D.C. National Guard unit deputized to enforce federal law and to stand up a nationwide quick reaction force for rapid deployments.
  • The Pentagon says it is reviewing the order, even as select National Guard teams in Washington began carrying service weapons under strict use‑of‑force rules, with armed troops observed near Union Station.
  • The Justice Department reports several hundred arrests in the capital since Aug. 11, with Attorney General Pam Bondi citing more than 700 detainees tied to the federal operation.
  • President Trump is publicly threatening to replicate the D.C. model in Chicago, with New York and Baltimore also named, while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker say they are evaluating legal options to block any federal overreach.
  • Roughly 2,000 Guard members and hundreds of federal agents are deployed in Washington, a move critics call unnecessary given data showing declines in violent crime, and civil‑rights groups warn of legal and constitutional risks.