National Guard deployment in Washington DC extended until February
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US National Guard troops will remain in Washington, D.C. until February, amid growing concerns over domestic military use and federal overreach.
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Members of the District of Columbia National Guard patrol along the National Mall, Saturday, August 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The National Guard deployment in Washington DC has been extended until at least February, according to reports. The order, initially set to expire at the end of November, was prolonged by US Department of War head Pete Hegseth.
As of Wednesday, nearly 2,400 National Guard troops remain stationed in the capital, CNN reported. Their continued presence is estimated to cost the United States around $1 million per day.
This extension follows a legal complaint filed by Washington DC officials against the Trump administration, arguing that the deployment amounted to an “involuntary military occupation.” Brian Schwalb, the District of Columbia's attorney general, described the move as an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
While a federal judge in California ruled in September that US President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles after protests in June was unlawful, the decision does not extend to Washington DC, as the US president has greater control over the National Guard in the capital than in individual US states.
Read more: Trump faces growing judicial resistance across the US
Trump administration’s broader strategy
The extended deployment reflects a broader pattern under Trump’s administration. After dispatching troops to Washington DC, the US president sent federal forces to Chicago and threatened to send them to other cities led by Democratic officials, including San Francisco, Portland, and New York.
These deployments have intensified federal involvement in local policing efforts, an uncommon move in US governance, sparking backlash from Democratic leaders and community organizers.
Earlier this month, an internal Pentagon directive revealed that the National Guard across all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and US territories had been ordered to establish “quick reaction forces” specialized in riot control.
Signed on October 8 by Maj. Gen. Ronald Burkett, director of operations for the National Guard Bureau, the memo mandates that each state train 500 members. The total force is expected to reach 23,500 troops, and States are required to provide monthly updates on training progress.
Read more: Trump administration overhauls ICE, reassigns top officials
Discontent among American citizens
Trump's liberal deployment of National Guard troops has frustrated the US public, with millions of protesters taking to the streets across the nation earlier this month to reflect their discontentwith the current US administration.
The movement, dubbed "No Kings," described Trump's monopoly of power and the actions of his administration, from targeting political opponents to these National Guard deployments, as monarchical.
Protesters stated that there has been no need for a king-like figure in the United States since the 18th century, with one of the chants stating “No Kings Since 1776 ... Democracy, Not Dictatorship.”
