The D.C. National Guard will remain deployed across the nation’s capital through February 2026 under a new order issued this week, extending a Trump administration directive that has kept troops stationed in the city since the summer.
According to official documents reviewed by AP, the order dated November 4 directs the Guard to continue its mission “to protect federal property and functions in the District of Columbia and to support federal and local law enforcement.”
Highlights
- The D.C. National Guard deployment is extended through February 2026 under a Trump order.
- About 950 D.C. Guard members are part of a broader 2,300-troop task force from eight states supporting local efforts.
- Guard troops have engaged in over 100 community projects, including trash pickup and beautification around key D.C. locations.
Troops were initially deployed in August after President Donald Trump signed a national emergency declaration, claiming crime was out of control in the city.
National Guard troops will remain in D.C. until February
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The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was also placed under federal control, but that order expired in September and was not renewed.
About 950 members of the D.C. Guard currently stationed around the city are part of a larger task force of more than 2,300 troops from at least eight states.
Many of those out-of-state units — including about 400 from West Virginia — are expected to wrap up their rotations later this month, though the latest order does not clarify whether their deployments will be extended, AP reported.
In recent months, some Guard members were spotted picking up trash as part of Trump’s “beautification” plan for D.C., as well as patrolling near Union Station, Lafayette Park, and several Metro stations.
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The task force provided an update on those efforts in October, saying troops had engaged in more than 100 community projects, including collecting 1,099 bags of trash, spreading 1,045 cubic yards of mulch and contributing over 5,320 service member hours.
The Department of Defense previously said that some of the troops deployed would support local law enforcement in duties such as administrative and logistical roles, as well as providing a physical presence.
The deployment has also become the focus of an ongoing legal fight, with D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb suing the Trump administration in September, arguing the president overstepped his authority by sending the Guard into the city without local consent.
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Forty-five states have weighed in through court briefs — 23 supporting the federal order and 22 backing the District.
A federal judge heard arguments in late October but has not yet ruled on whether the Guard can remain deployed indefinitely under the emergency order.
However, the D.C. National Guard reports directly to the president because the District of Columbia is under federal jurisdiction and does not have a governor.
Troops were previously spotted picking up trash
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The Home Rule Act of 1973 granted the city limited self-government, but ultimate authority in many areas, including control of the National Guard, remains with the federal government. Washington is not included in the 50 U.S. states and has no voting representation in Congress.
Trump is also facing further legal battles over his attempt to deploy the National Guard to Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
In both cases, federal judges have temporarily blocked the moves, questioning whether the president has the authority to send state-controlled forces into local jurisdictions without governors’ consent.