Overview

• Republican governors in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio have committed more than 1,100 National Guard troops to join roughly 800 D.C. Guard members already on duty.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi reported 465 arrests and 68 guns seized since the operation began, with officials also citing over 160 immigration-related detentions and asserting many non‑immigration arrests occurred in high‑crime wards.
• The Justice Department directed Washington prosecutors to maximize federal charges for cases stemming from the sweeps, a shift that could increase potential penalties and strain local courts.
• Officials offered conflicting signals on whether Guard personnel will carry weapons, with earlier Pentagon statements saying troops would be unarmed and the White House now saying they may be armed consistent with their mission and training.
• After a legal challenge by D.C. leaders, Police Chief Pamela Smith remains in operational control of MPD as critics question the necessity of the takeover given sharp declines in violent crime since 2023 and residents protest the expanded federal presence.