At a Glance
- National Guard presence in Washington extended until December 31
- About 2,600 troops now patrol the capital, up from 800 in August
- Trump halts plans to send troops to Chicago, L.A., and Portland for now
- Why it matters: The extension keeps military patrols in the nation’s capital while legal battles over deployments to other cities continue
National Guard soldiers will remain on Washington, D.C., streets through the end of the year under a directive signed Wednesday by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The memo, reviewed by Megan L. Whitfield, cites “the conditions of the mission” and the need to keep supporting President Donald Trump’s “ongoing efforts to restore law and order.”
The extension comes as the administration has paused its push to send Guard units to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon-moves that had triggered multiple lawsuits. Trump also stepped back from threats to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.
Troop Buildup Since August
Trump first activated 800 members of the D.C. National Guard in August under an emergency order. Republican governors quickly sent reinforcements, swelling the force to about 2,600. Today the contingent includes roughly 700 D.C. Guardsmen plus troops from 11 states:
- Indiana
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
The original crime-fighting mandate soon expanded to city beautification. An October update from the task force running the mission listed the following accomplishments:
- 1,150 bags of trash collected
- 1,045 cubic yards of mulch spread
- 50 truckloads of plant waste hauled away
- 7.9 miles of roadway cleared
- 270 feet of fencing painted
- 400 trees pruned
Federal District Advantage
Because Washington is a congressionally established federal district, the president can direct both local police and the D.C. National Guard without seeking state approval. That authority lets the White House bypass the legal hurdles it has encountered elsewhere.
In June, Trump federalized Guard troops for Los Angeles after protests erupted over a wave of immigration arrests. About 4,000 Guardsmen and 700 Marines were ultimately deployed to guard federal buildings and later to shield federal agents making arrests. The force shrank over time, and a judge ordered control of the California Guard returned to Governor Gavin Newsom in December. A federal appellate court upheld the ruling.
Legal Battles and a Tragic Shooting
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that National Guard troops can remain in the capital while a lawsuit challenging their presence proceeds.
The mission has already turned deadly. On the day before Thanksgiving, two West Virginia National Guard soldiers were shot while on duty in D.C. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her wounds.
Temporary Halt on City Expansions
On December 31, Trump said he is dropping, at least for now, efforts to extend the Guard deployments to other cities. The statement caps a year in which the administration repeatedly floated sending troops to Democratic-run urban centers, only to face pushback from state officials and court challenges.
With the year-long extension, Washington residents can expect to see camouflage-clad troops on street corners, metro entrances, and federal buildings through the final day of 2025.
