Hegseth prolongs National Guard presence in DC until February

National Guard Deployment Extended in D.C.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., will continue through February. This comes as discussions within the Pentagon acknowledged that the deployment of over 2,000 military personnel was initially set to conclude at the end of November.

Army officials mentioned that the troops are engaged in community patrols, crime deterrence, and providing vital support to the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia.

Comments were sought from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office regarding this extension.

Back in August, President Trump had sent around 800 members of the D.C. National Guard to the capital, largely driven by concerns over a “crisis” in violent crime. He declared a public emergency and instructed Hegseth to mobilize security measures in the district.

Additionally, federal forces including ICE, DEA, and FBI agents were dispatched to assist in maintaining order in the capital.

Currently, National Guard troops from seven other Republican-led states—Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia—are present in D.C. As of Thursday, the total count of National Guard troops stood at 2,389, with 960 from D.C. and 1,427 from other states.

Statistics from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department indicate a significant drop in violent crimes from 2024 to 2023, with violent crimes overall decreasing by 35%. Specifically, murders dropped by 32%, sexual assaults by 25%, and robberies by 39%.

The United States Attorney’s Office highlighted that the total count of violent crimes in D.C. reached its lowest point in three decades as of December 2024. Although homicides decreased for the first time in four years, they have yet to return to pre-pandemic figures.

This year, violent crimes have reduced by 29%, with homicides down by 27%, sexual crimes by 38%, and robberies by 36%, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

During a session with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in September, Mayor Bowser suggested that increased federal law enforcement, rather than the National Guard, had positively impacted crime reduction. She noted, “What has worked has been strengthening the DEA and FBI.”

Earlier in September, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that the deployment of the National Guard breaches the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act and the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, both of which govern local governance and the use of military in civil matters.