A battle is on over the future of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
A Guard official said that District of Columbia National Guard troops have had their deployment extended through the end of the year, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, D.C. officials have sued to get the military off the streets.
The D.C. guard official said the extension will allow troops patrolling D.C. to get uninterrupted benefits and pay.
DC National Guard has order extended through remainder of 2025 as crackdown leads to crime decrease: officials https://t.co/A6aY1I5M3L pic.twitter.com/2Y44z9IqmQ
— New York Post (@nypost) September 4, 2025
The official said it is possible that not all 950 D.C. Guard members currently serving will be on duty through the end of December, but the extension is an indication that some presence will remain.
In a statement to CNN, a White House official said, “President Trump is committed to the long-term safety and security of Washington, D.C., for its residents and visitors.”
In a post on X, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the infusion of military support for law and order has made D.C. safer.
81 additional arrests made yesterday and 13 more illegal firearms seized—including one firearm recovered from a school in downtown Washington, DC.
Our mission is making the nation’s capital safe again for all Americans. pic.twitter.com/rKq9rDv4X9
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) September 4, 2025
“[Eighty-one] additional arrests made yesterday and 13 more illegal firearms seized—including one firearm recovered from a school in downtown Washington, D.C.,” she said, announcing that 1,841 total arrests have been made and 188 illegal guns have been seized.
“Our mission is making the nation’s capital safe again for all Americans,” Bondi concluded.
However, D.C.’s municipal government is suing to have the military withdrawn, according to USA Today.
The federal lawsuit wants to end President Donald Trump’s deployment of troops. Trump has said he could expand the use of Guard troops to other cities.
The lawsuit said Trump “has run roughshod over a fundamental tenet of American democracy — that the military should not be involved in domestic law enforcement.”
“The danger that such an operation poses to individual liberty and democratic rule is self-evident,” the lawsuit said.
“If Black Lives Matter, then why aren’t Democratic Politicians celebrating the fast that not a single black person has been kiIIed in DC since Trump sent the National Guard?”
Great question!! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/MYXZprnmoX
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) August 31, 2025
“President Trump is well within his lawful authority to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C. to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement with specific tasks,” White House representative Abigail Jackson said, according to Fox News.
“This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt — at the detriment of D.C. residents and visitors — to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C.,” she said.
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