Overview

• The 800 reservists mobilized on August 11 by President Trump are tasked with securing federal monuments, patrolling residential areas, protecting installations and federal agents, and managing traffic until public order is deemed restored.
• Local reports say Guard members made their first arrests this week as they began joint operations with the Metropolitan Police Department.
• On August 15, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed suit calling the measures an unlawful “hostile takeover” of the city’s police powers.
• Administration officials defend the federalization as necessary to combat gang violence, but Justice Department data show violent crime in Washington fell to a 30-year low in 2024.
• Observers warn the deployment mirrors June’s contested National Guard mobilization in Los Angeles and could reshape policing dynamics in other cities with limited home-rule status.