By suzanne downing 
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has extended the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, DC, through at least February, ensuring a continued federal presence in the chaotic nation’s capital months after President Donald Trump declared a public emergency over violent crime.
The extension keeps roughly 2,387 Guard members in place to support public safety and community operations, even as critics question whether the mission still fits the “emergency” label.
The mission began in August after President Trump invoked emergency powers to respond to what he described as a “violent crime crisis” in DC. That declaration placed the city’s police department under temporary federal oversight and brought in reinforcements from agencies including ICE, DEA, and the FBI.
Initially, about 800 DC National Guard members were activated, but as conditions in the capital remained volatile, particularly during waves of violent unrest, troops from Republican-led states joined rotations. Units from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia have since cycled through the nation’s capital. A previous extension in September allowed those deployed to qualify for full housing and health care benefits.
As of late October, Guard troops continue to patrol high-traffic areas such as the National Mall, Union Station, and Georgetown. Officials say their presence deters crime and assists overwhelmed law enforcement agencies. They will be on alert for the major protest planned for Nov. 5 in DC.
Since August, troops have collected more than 1,000 bags of trash, spread over 1,000 cubic yards of mulch, removed graffiti, and assisted at local food banks as the Guard is helping a city that has declined to adequately serve its people. Hegseth’s latest order also helps secure pay and benefits for troops amid the ongoing federal shutdown, which had placed military stipends in question.
The deployment has drawn opposition from DC leaders, including lawsuits. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed suit against the Trump Administration in September, calling the mission a “military occupation” and arguing it violates federal laws prohibiting domestic use of the armed forces for policing. Mayor Muriel Bowser and some governors had announced intentions to withdraw their Guard contingents earlier this month, but Hegseth’s extension will override those plans.
In California, a federal judge ruled a similar deployment in Los Angeles unlawful in September, a decision that has been appealed but has an influence on what is going on in Washington.
The DC deployment fits into a Republican approach to public order, one that uses National Guard and federal resources to address crime-infested, Democrat-run cities such as Chicago, and potentially San Francisco, Portland, and New York.